Handbook  for  Rural  Teachers 


Addie  M.  Ayer 

Supervisor  of  Rural  Training  Schools 
Lewiston  State  Normal  School 


BKStUSfn  t . -v  'tv 

AT!  2 8 1918 


Published  Quarterly 

BY  THE 

State  Board  of  Education 

Boise,  Idaho 


STATE  OF  IDAHO 


STATE  BOARD  OF  EDUCATION 

AND 

BOARD  OF  REGENTS  OF  THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  IDAHO 


Herman  J.  Rossi,  President Wallace 

H.  Harland,  Vice-President Payette 

Evan  Evans,  Secretary Grangeville 

Walter  S.  Bruce Boise 

T.  A.  Walters -. Caldwell 


Bernice  McCoy,  Superintendent  of  Public  Instruction, 
Boise,  Ex-officio. 


Edward  0.  Sisson 
Commissioner  of  Education 


STATE  EDUCATIONAL  INSTITUTIONS 

University  of  Idaho Melvin  A.  Brannon,  President 

Moscow 

Lewiston  State  Normal  School  Geo.  H.  Black,  Principal 

Lewiston 

Albion  State  Normal  School.  . .Geo.  A.  Axline,  Principal 

Albion 

Idaho  Technical  Institute Miles  F.  Reed,  President 

Pocatello 

Industrial  Training  School J.  T.  Humphries,  Supt. 

St.  Anthony 

Deaf  and  Blind  School.  . . .W.  E.  Taylor,  Superintendent 

Gooding 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS 


0- 


¥ 


Introduction  

The  Redirected  Rural  School 

$9  Personality  of  the  Teacher 

Relation  of  the  Teacher  to  the  Community 

Duties  of  the  Teacher  in  the  Community 

Getting  Acquainted  with  the  Community 

Relation  of  Teacher  to  County  Superintendent 

Profeissional  Growth  of  Teachers 

Country  Life  Movement  

.3  School  Buildings  and  Grounds 

^ Equipment  and  Supplies • • 

Sanitation  and  Hygiene 

Prevention  of  Disease 

Standardization  of  Schools 

Combination  and  Alternation  of  Classes 

Elimination  of  Grades 

Daily  Program  

Study  Periods  and  Seat  Work 

Opening  Exercises  

Use  of  Textbooks  and  Course  of  Study 

A Plea  for  Music 

Agriculture  the  Backbone  of  the  School 

Home  Making  

'•Warm  Lunches  : 

...Manual  Training  

Handwork  

^ Sewing  

The  School  a Social  Center 

How  to  Organize  and  Build  Up  Country  Life.  . . . 

Rural  Community  Organization 

List  of  Topics  for  Community  Meetings 

A Suggestive  Program  for  a Community  Meeting 

Special  Day  Celebrations 

Playground,  Recess  and  Noon  Hour 

Boys’  and  Girls’  Clubs 

Requirements 

Objects  and  Benefits  of  Club  Work 

School  Libraries  

The  Traveling  Library  

Packet  Libraries  


Page 

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INTRODUCTION 


Iii  the  preparation  of  this  handbook  the  Department  of 
Education  has  endeavored  to  recognize  and  utilize  the  best 
thought  and  experience  of  the  State  and  the  Nation.  The 
county  superintendents  of  the  State,  the  heads  of  the  depart- 
ment of  rural  education  of  our  State  Normal  Schools  and 
the  best  rural  workers  of  other  States  were  ajl  called  upon 
to  contribute  advice  and  suggestions  as  to  the  subjects  neces- 
sary to  be  treated  in  order  that  the  most  helpful  handbook 
might  be  worked  out  for  our  teachers. 

The  preliminary  plan  and  organization  of  the  handbook 
were  worked  out  by  Miss  Bernice  McCoy,  State  Superin- 
tendent, who  also  supervised  the  whole  task  of  prepara- 
tion. 

Miss  Addie  M.  Ayer,  Supervisor  of  the  Rural  Training 
Schools  of  the  Lewiston  State  Normal  School,  was  chosen  to 
write  the  book  because  of  her  long  acquaintance  with  Idaho's 
rural  schools  and  rural  conditions.  Mr.  John  C.  Werner, 
head  of  the  Department  of  Rural  Education  of  the  Albion 
State  Normal  School,  was  called  in  to  assist  Miss  Ayer. 

Because  of  the  character  and  equipment  of  the  con- 
tributors and  the  author,  the  Department  of  Education  is 
confident  that  the  handbook  will  be  a practical  help  and 
guide  for  the  rural  teacher  who  is  seeking  to  better  condi- 
tions educationally  and  socially  in  the  community  in  which 
she  works,  and  we  most  earnestly  recommend  it  as  worthy 
of  the  most  careful  study  by  all  teachers. 


Handbook  for  Rural  Teachers 

Addie  M.  Ayer 

Supervisor  of  Rural  Training  Schools 
Lewiston  State  Normal  School 


THE  REDIRECTED  RURAL  SCHOOL 

“The  schools  are  held  to  be  largely  responsible  for  in- 
effective farming , low  ideals  and  a drift  to  town.” — Coun- 
try Life  Commission  report  (page  53). 

The  above  statement  has  often  been  quoted  and  almost 
unanimously  conceded  by  those  who  have  made  a study  of 
the  decline  of  rural  life  in  the  last  decade.  The  State  of 
Idaho  wants  concerted  action  on  the  part  of  the  teachers 
in  the  schools  of  the  open  country  to  redirect  the  rural  school 
so  as  to  meet  the  conditions  of  a new  country  life  and  give 
the  country  child  “a  square  deal.”  If  there  is  such  a thing 
as  democracy  in  education,  “the  country  child  is  entitled  to 
every  whit  as  good  an  educational  opportunity  as  the  most 
favored  city  child.” 

This  new  country  school,  in  order  to  remedy  the  condi- 
tions as  reported  by  the  Country  Life  Commission  and  to 
meet  the  demands  of  the  present  day,  must  shift  the  empha- 
sis from  traditional  subjects  taught  in  traditional  ways  to 
farm  and  home  subjects  taught  in  terms  of  country  life. 
The  three  R’s  were  never  so  important  as  they  are  today 
but  they  must  be  so  socialized  and  so  vitalized  that  they  will 
contribute  more  concretely  than  in  the  past  to  the  modem 
aims  of  rural  education — Better  Men,  Better  Farming,  Bet- 
ter Living. 

The  rural  school  alone  cannot  reach  this  goal.  All  the 
agencies — the  home,  the  school,  the  church,  boys’  and  girls’ 
clubs,  farmers’  union,  parent-teachers’  associations  and 
every  other  organization  in  rural  communities — must  be  co- 
workers in  a specific  way  in  producing  a better  and  more 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


satisfying  country  life.  This  cooperation  of  the  school  with 
other  agencies  is  an  important  part  of  the  work  of  the  new 
type  of  teacher  in  the  redirection  of  energy.  She  may  teach 
agriculture,  domestic  science,  sewing  and  other  so-called 
vocational  subjects  and  still  fail  if  her  vision  is  not  broad 
enough  to  see  that  every  phase  of  the  school  work  and  every 
neighborhood  activity  should  contribute  definitely  to  the 
making  of  better  men,  better  farming  and  better  living. 

There  is  no  desire  to  put  extra  burdens  on  the  shoulders 
of  the  country  teacher,  but  to  help  her  to  readjust  her  work 
that  she  may  be  a strong  force  in  the  great  country  life 
movement.  As  the  majority  of  rural  teachers  in  Idaho  at 
the  present  time  are  untrained,  the  Department  of  Educa- 
tion is  conservative  in  its  demands  for  better  rural  schools. 
This  bulletin  is  written  to  indicate  some  of  the  basic  prin- 
ciples in  the  transfer  of  emphasis  upon  which  the  educa- 
tional regeneration  must  rest.  These  may  be  summarized 
as  follows : 

1.  Combine  and  alternate  classes  to  give  more  time  for 
each  recitation.  This  will  result  in  the  greatest  good  to  the 
greatest  number. 

2.  Discriminate  between  essentials  and  non-essentials 
and  oniit  the  latter,  thus  giving  more  time  to  the  problems 
of  country  life. 

3.  Uet  away  from  the  formalism  of  books,  using  them 
as  tools  only,  and  adapt  all  work  to  the  needs  and  interests 
of  the  farms  and  homes  of  Idaho  and  especially  to  the  con- 
ditions in  that  particular  community  in  which  you  are  teach- 
ing. 

4.  Teach  in  terms  of  child  life. 

5.  Lay  emphasis  on  civic  and  social  activities  of  your 
community. 

6.  Use  your  energies  for  better  and  more  definite  plan- 
ning and  do  less  for  children  in  the  school  room  which  may 
be  done  by  the  pupils  themselves. 

7.  Let  pupils  work  as  well  as  study  and  recite,  so  that 
the  individual  may  be  given  opportunity  to  achieve  through 
purposeful  motor  activity. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


7 


8.  Let  Better  Men,  Better  Farming,  Better  Living  be  the  aim 
of  rural  education  rather  than  passing  eighth  grade  exami- 
nations or  entering  some  higher  grade  or  some  other  school. 

PERSONALITY  OF  THE  TEACHER 

“The  country  teacher  who  appreciates  and  realizes  her 
advantages  is  the  chief  factor  in  the  solution  of  the  farm 
problem  ." — Carney's  Country  Life  and  Country  School. 

“There  is  almost  no  virtue  or  ability  not  listed  in  the 
catalog  of  a good  country  teacher's  accomplishments.  She 
must  possess  a fair  degree  of  all-round  scholarship ; be  some- 
thing of  an  artist,  carpenter,  cook,  musician  and  gardener ; 
know  just  what  ails  a smoky  stove,  a rattling  window,  or  a 
dull  boy ; be  able  to  bandage  wounds,  pull  teeth,  start  fires, 
drive  a fractious  horse,  conduct  a Sunday  School  or  fish  lost 
boots  from  the  muddy  depths  of  the  public  highway."  This 
is  a vivid  picture  of  the  new  type  of  teacher  needed  in  the 
new  school,  and  though  she  has  all  the  above  accomplish- 
ments and  has  not  a pleasing  and  strong  personality  her 
leadership  will  not  be  accepted  and  her  efforts  may  be  fruit- 
less. 

One’s  personality  is  not  a fixed  quantity  but  may  be  developed 
and  is  determined  more  by  greatness  of  soul  than  physical  perfec- 
tion or  mental  vigor,  though  all  three  are  essential  in  the  develop- 
ment of  a great  character. 

A teacher's  conduct  out  of  school,  neatness  of  appear- 
ance, professional  attitude  and  community  interests,  if  posi- 
tive, are  of  vital  importance  in  determining  her  influence 
as  a leader  of  children.  The  opposite  will  counteract  all  good 
work  done  in  the  school  room.  Emerson's  lines  should  be 
familiar  to  all  teachers  : “How  can  I hear  what  you  say 
while  what  you  are  thunders  so  loud  in  my  ears?"  To  have 
high  ideals  is  not  enough,  but  they  must  be  so  concrete  that 
they  are  interpreted  in  terms  of  action. 

Teachers  are  urged  to  read : 

Field’s  The  Corn  Lady. 

Wray’s  Jean  Mitchell’s  School. 

Carney’s  Country  Life  and  the  Country  School. 

Kern’s  Among  Country  Schools. 

Colgrove’s  Teacher  and  the  School. 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


RELATION  OF  THE  TEACHER  TO  THE  COMMUNITY 

The  teacher  is  a public  servant  and  the  public  has  a right 
to  expect  her  to  put  her  whole  soul  into  the  welfare  of  the 
community. 

The  new  type  of  teacher  wants  to  know  her  community 
and  the  school  plant  before  school  opens  in  the  fall;  she 
considers  it  a privilege  as  well  as  a duty  to  stay  in  the  dis- 
trict week  ends,  for  that  is  the  time  that  she  gets  to  know 
the  homes  and  the  social  conditions ; she  feels  that  a contract 
with  trustees  is  a sacred  thing  to  be  kept  as  any  honorable 
person  keeps  any  business  agreement ; and  she  has  a loyalty 
to  pupils  and  patrons  that  will  keep  her  from  gossiping  or 
listening  to  gossip.  The  teacher’s  personality  and  attitude 
toward  the  community  are  the  two  strongest  elements  that 
make  for  success  or  failure. 

Teachers  are  urged  to  do  everything  in  their  power  to 
get  patrons  to  visit  schools,  not  only  the  mothers  but  the 
fathers  as  well.  It  is  the  teacher’s  duty  to  let  the  people 
know  what  is  going  on  in  the  educational  world,  particularly 
the  local  school  world.  The  following  questions  and  many 
others  arise  among  patrons,  which,  if  explained,  will  save 
much  ill  feeling  and  result  in  fewer  dismissals  of  teachers : 

What  is  the  purpose  of  seat  work? 

Why  combine  classes  and  eliminate  certain  grades. 

How' do  phonics  aid  in  teaching  reading? 

What  is  the  reason  for  not  starting  beginners  in  a 
reader? 

Why  teach  agriculture? 

Why  alternate  subjects  by  years?  (Plan  as  given  in  this 
handbook.) 

Teachers  are  urged  to  refer  the  people  to  this  handbook, 
the  State  Course  of  Study,  circular  letters  of  county  superin- 
tendents, and  buletins  sent  out  by  the  normal  schools. 
Teachers  must  be  very  familiar  with  this  literature  before 
they  can  use  it  effectively  to  educate  others. 

Often  there  arises  in  country  communities  misunder- 
standings between  teachers  and  patrons  in  regard  to  the 
age  of  children  attending  schools,  classification  of  pupils, 
subjects  to  be  taught,  discipline,  etc.  The  teacher  is  usually 
the  only  one  in  the  community  who  has  or  expects  to  make 
a study  of  educational  matters,  and  the  responsibility  lies 
with  her  to  make  adjustments  in  classifying  and  grading 
pupils,  combining  grades,  seeking  causes  and  applying 
remedies  for  irregularity  of  attendance  and  settling  the 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


9 


many  other  problems  which  belong  to  the  province  of  the 
teacher  and  to  no  one  else  in  the  district.  She  must  study 
her  problem,  be  strong  in  her  convictions  and  have  the  cour- 
age to  stand  by  them.  Teachers  who  consider  their  profes- 
sion as  such  instead  of  a job  at  so  much  a month,  have  the 
respect  of  the  community  and  there  is  no  question  as  to  who 
is  to  determine  how  the  school  is  to  be  conducted. 

In  a great  many  rural  schools  there  are  little  children 
attending  who  are  under  school  age.  The  country  teacher’s 
problems  are  so  many  that  she  should  not  be  burdened  with 
little  people  who  are  too  young  to  go  to  school.  Trustees 
and  county  superintendents  should  help  her  to  enforce  the 
law  so  that  any  extra  time  she  may  have  may  be  given  to 
the  backward  and  overgrown  children  that  are  found  in 
every  school.  (“School  age  is  defined  as  applying  to  all 
persons  between  the  ages  of  six  and  twenty-one  years.” 
See  Idaho  School  Laws,  Sec.  58-k,  1915  edition.)  Rural 
teachers  are  often  required  to  teach  the  ninth  grade,  thereby 
robbing  the  rest  of  the  school  of  the  time  that  rightly  be- 
longs to  them.  According  to  a recent  ruling  of  the  State 
Board  of  Education,  no  district  employing  less  than  four 
teachers  may  have  high  school  work  standardized  by  the 
Department  of  Education.  This  ruling  was  made  to  protect 
the  'elementary  grades,  which,  after  all,  are  the  most  im- 
portant part  of  the  school  system.  Upon  their  strength  de- 
pends the  quality  of  the  high  school  work. 

DUTIES  OF  THE  TEACHER  IN  THE  COMMUNITY 

1.  Visit  all  homes  and  get  acquainted  with  the  patrons. 

2.  Study  conditions  from  all  angles  so  as  to  adapt  the 
school  work  to  the  needs  of  the  community. 

3.  Live  in  the  district  seven  days  in  the  week  during 
the  school  term. 

4.  Keep  a school  contract  unless  honorably  released  by 
trustees. 

5.  Be  loyal  to  pupils  and  patrons. 

6.  Conduct  yourself  outside  of  school  so  as  to  win  re- 
spect for  yourself  and  your  profession. 

7.  Stay  more  than  one  year  in  a district  unless  a change 
means  decided  professional  and  financial  advancement. 

8.  Arouse  an  interest  in  the  school  and  do  your  part  to 
educate  patrons  to  the  need  of  a better  school  to  meet  the 
demands  of  the  present  day  by 

(a)  Urging  them  to  visit  schools. 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


(b)  Loaning  them  literature  to  show  what  is  being 

done  all  over  the  country  for  rural  regener- 
ation. 

(c)  Getting  them  acquainted  with  the  modern 

methods  of  teaching. 

(d)  Explaining  the  plan  as  laid  down  in  this  hand- 

book, to  give  a better  division  of  time  for  the 
school  day  and  school  year. 

9.  Urge  patrons  to  read: 


Among  Country  Schools Kern 

Country  Life  and  the  Country  School Carney 

The  American  Rural  School Foght 

The  Corn  Lady Field 

Chapters  in  Rural  Progress Butterfield 


The  County  Unit  of  School  Supervision  and  Organization — 
(Free  bulletin  from  the  Bureau  of  Education,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.) 

Consolidation  of  Rural  Schools.  (Free.  Same  source  as  above.) 

All  bulletins  from  the  Department  of  Education  and  the 
educational  institutions  of  the  State. 

GETTING  ACQUAINTED  WITH  THE  COMMUNITY 

The  new  type  of  teacher  knows  that  every  community  is 
more  or  less  peculiar  unto  itself  and  differs  in  many  re- 
spects from  all  other  communities.  Before  she  can  adapt 
the  curriculum  to  the  needs  and  interests  of  the  neighbor- 
hood, she  must  know  definite  facts  concerning  the  district, 
not  rumors  or  guesses.  She  sees  the  close  relationship  be- 
tween her  work  and  the  nationality  of  the  people,  the  finan- 
cial condition  of  the  district,  the  number  of  tenant  farmers, 
the  industries  and  nearness  to  market,  the  average  yield  per 
acre  of  the  principal  crops,  the  social  history  of  the  school, 
the  religious  attitude  of  the  people  and  the  hundred  and  one 
other  problems  that  go  to  make  up  a rural  survey. 

Children  may  help  gather  much  of  the  data  required. 
A large  district  map  may  be  made  in  school.  (This  is  ex- 
cellent fourth  grade  geography  work.)  On  it  locate  the 
school  and  other  public  buildings,  streams,  highways,  farms, 
stores,  sawmill,  factory,  irrigation  canals,  etc.,  etc.  A set 
of  maps  may  follow,  showing,  one  at  a time,  the  prominent 
industries  or  crops  of  the  district.  For  example : A timothy 
map  will  show  the  location  of  the  acreage  of  hay,  maximum 
and  minimum  yields. 

Before  deciding  on  the  industrial  work  to  be  given  in 
school,  or  the  kind  of  girls’  and  boys’  agricultural  and  home 
economics  clubs  to  organize,  or  the  method  of  vocationalizing 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


11 


all  formal  book  subjects,  or  the  kind  of  social  center  work  to 
start,  gather  data  on  your  school  district,  similar  to  the  fol- 
lowing, and  make  a neat  record  for  future  use : 

I.  ECONOMIC  CONDITIONS. 

1.  Number  of  farmers  who  own  the  farms  upon  which  they  live. 

2.  Number  of  tenant  farmers. 

3.  Number  of  miles  of  well  kept  roads;  of  poorly  kept  roads. 

4.  Average  size  of  farms. 

5.  Number  of  modern  homes. 

6.  Number  of  modern  barns. 

7.  Financial  conditions  of  the  district;  the  special  tax  voted  for 

school  purposes. 

8.  Number  of  automobiles. 

9.  Total  number  of  acres  of  wheat,  hay,  apples,  alfalfa,  com 

and  other  important  crops.  Total  yield.  Average 
yield.  Highest  yield  per  acre.  Lowest  yield.  Value  of 
crops. 

10.  How  many  fruit  trees  were  sprayed  and  pruned?  How  many 

farmers  treated  their  seed  potatoes  and  wheat?  How 
many  farmers  carefully  selected  and  tested  wheat  or 
other  seed? 

11.  Total  number  of  breeds  of:  Horses,  mules,  beef  cattle,  dairy 

cows,  hogs,  sheep,  poultry.  Value  of  each  and  total  value 
of  all. 

12.  Number  of  different  kinds  of  farm  implements,  as  com- 

bines and  binders,  etc.  Care  taken  of  farm  machinery. 

13.  How  far  to  the  nearest  market? 

II.  SOCIAL  AND  MORAL  CONDITIONS. 

1.  Is  the  school  or  church  used  as  a social  center? 

2.  Is  there  a farmers’  organization?  Boys’  and  girls’  clubs? 

A women’s  club?  What  is  the  purpose  of  each? 

3.  Does  the  church  tend  to  unite  or  divide  the  community?  Is  it 

building  up  the  neighborhood? 

4.  What  is  the  community  attitude  toward  religious  matters? 

Social  affairs? 

5.  What  is  the  school  doing  to  improve  social  life? 

6.  How  many  rural  telephones?  Does  the  rural  delivery  reach 

every  home? 

7.  How* do  the  young  men  spend  their  leisure?  Young  women? 

III.  HEALTH  CONDITIONS. 

1.  Source  of  water  supply.  If  open  wells,  where  located?  Dis- 

tance from  barns  and  privies?  How  walled  up  and 
enclosed  at  top? 

2.  Are  all  privies  fly-proof  according  to  1915  regulations  of 

State  Board  of  Health?  (Send  to  State  Board  of  Health, 
Boise,  Idaho,  for  desired  information.)  Are  fly-tight  re- 
ceptacles provided  and  used  for  stable  manure  according 
to  regulations? 


12 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


3.  How  is  garbage  disposed  of? 

4.  Drainage  about  the  house  and  barn? 

5.  Ventilation  of  bedrooms  and  school  house? 

6.  Amount  of  patent  medicines  used. 

IV.  EDUCATIONAL  CONDITIONS. 

1.  Have  your  predecessors  been  residents  of  the  community? 

2.  Has  the  district  kept  the  teacher  more  than  one  year? 

3.  Have  most  of  the  teachers  had  professional  training? 

4.  Have  the  industrial  subjects  been  taught  in  school? 

5.  Have  there  been  any  boys*  and  girls’  agriculture  or  home 

economics  clubs? 

6.  Have  there  been  any  local  fairs  or  exhibits? 

7.  Is  the  school  teaching  civics  and  health  to  the  community ? 

What  is  the  result  in  community  building? 

8.  Has  the  district  a State  Traveling  Library?  If  so,  how  many 

patrons  use  it? 

9.  Does  the  school  library  contain  books  on  country  life  and 

community  building?  How  much  are  they  used  by  adults? 

10.  Does  the  library  contain  agricultural  and  home  economics 

bulletins?  The  biennial  report  of  the  State  Board  of 

Education?  State  Board  oif  Health  bulletins?  If  so, 

how  many  are  used  by  patrons? 

11.  Has  the  school  taken  any  magazines  or  farm  papers? 

12.  How  many  monthly  magazines  taken  in  the  community? 

Weekly  papers?  Daily  papers? 

13.  How  many  homes  have  at  least  a small  library? 

14.  How  many  homes  have  a musical  instrument? 

(The  above  questions  are  adapted  to  Idaho  conditions  from  those 
given  by  the  State  Agricultural  College  of  Kansas  in  the  bulletin. 
“Community  Welfare  Club.”) 

RELATION  OF  TEACHER  TO  COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENT 

There  should  be  the  greatest  sympathy  and  the  strongest 
cooperation  between  teachers  and  county  superintendent. 
County  superintendents  are  overworked  and  have  not  the 
time  to  visit  each  school  more  than  once  or  twice  a term. 
Because  of  lack  of  supervision  which  it  is  possible  to  give, 
they  try  to  carry  on  constructive  work  from  the  office  by 
organizing  boys’  and  girls’  clubs,  parent-teachers’  associa- 
tions, spelling  contests  and  field  meets;  by  suggesting  the 
ways  of  managing  industrial  work,  special  programs,  seat 
work  and  opening  exercises;  and  by  recommending  profes- 
sional reading  matter,  new  equipment  and  ways  of  beautify- 
ing the  rural  school.  Every  rural  teacher  should  make  an 
effort  to  become  acquainted  with  the  educational  policies  of 
the  state  and  county  as  carried  on  through  the  county  super- 
itendent’s  office  and  to  act  in  perfect  harmony  with  those 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


13 


plans  and  to  try  to  put  them  into  operation.  In  order  to  do 
so,  teachers  should 

1.  Read  carefully  all  printed  matter  and  circular  letters 
sent  from  the  county  office. 

2.  Answer  all  correspondence  promptly. 

3.  Send  daily  programs  and  reports  promptly,  as  re- 
quested. 

PROFESSIONAL  GROWTH  OF  TEACHERS 

In  order  to  build  up  its  rural  schools  the  State  of  Idaho 
needs  more  than  anything  else  a class  of  teachers  with  a 
progressive  attitude  as  strong  as  that  of  the  medical  pro- 
fession. This  new  class  of  teachers  will  maintain  a mental 
vigor  and  vivacity  of  spirit  and  set  such  high  standards  for 
their  profession  that  ability  to  teach  will  not  be  measured  by 
certificates  and  diplomas. 

A certificate  should  be  the  minimum  requirement  to 
teach.  Idaho  has  no  room  for  “school  keepers"  who  do  not 
grow  from  year  to  year  and  month  to  month  by  taking  ad- 
vantage of  summer  vacations  to  get  more  training ; by  study- 
ing teachers'  journals,  daily  papers  and  current  magazines ; 
by  adding  a few  professional  books  to  their  libraries  each 
year  and  by  gaining  a broad  knowledge  of  important  educa- 
tional matters  going  on  in  the  outside  world. 

In  a young  country  like  ours  there  is  bound  to  be  each 
year  a good  many  teachers  who  are  new  in  the  State  and 
who  have  not  developed  a State  consciousness.  An  important 
part  of  the  teacher's  growth  is  a full  and  accurate  knowledge 
of  the  geography,  history,  resources  and  legends  of  this 
great  State  of  Opportunity.  Idaho  teachers  must  teach  Idaho  to 
Idaho  children. 

In  order  that  the  teacher  become  a leader  in  the  country 
community  or  “the  chief  factor  in  the  solution  of  the  farm 
problem,"  she  should  be  well  informed  on  the  important 
matters  pertaining  to  rural  schools  which  are  being  so  widely 
discussed  throughout  the  country.  Are  you  conversant  with 
the  following  subjects  and  do  you  know  how  these  move- 
ments affect  your  community? 

COUNTRY  LIFE  MOVEMENT 

(For  directory  of  Country  Life  Movements  see  “Country 
Life  and  the  Country  School,"  pages  384-387.) 

Boys'  and  Girls’  Club  work. 

County  unit  of  school  organization. 

Home  project  work. 


14 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


Child  Welfare  campaigns. 

Consolidation. 

Teachers’  cottages. 

Rural  festivals  and  recreation. 

Rural  surveys. 

Better  roads. 

Rural  community  music. 

If  you  are  interested  in  the  technique  of  teaching  and 
wish  to  test  your  methods,  send  to  the  Albion  State  Normal 
for  the  “News  Letter”  which  contains  helpful  suggestions 
on  “Essentials  of  Teaching.” 

The  Lewiston  State  Normal  School  has  loan  packet 
libraries  for  the  use  of  teachers  who  wish  to  improve  pro- 
fessionally. 

DO  YOU  BELONG  TO  THE  READING  CIRCLE? 

The  Reading  Circle  work  was  started  to  encourage  teach- 
ers who  are  far  from  libraries,  to  read  books  of  a profes- 
sional nature*.  The  State  department  issues  questions  at  the 
same  time  as  the  State  examination  in  August,  on  the  books 
adopted  and  gives  credit  of  ten  per  cent  to  those  passing  the 
examination  in  any  one  of  the  books,  this  credit  to  be  added 
to  the  lowest  passing  grades  in  the  regular  subjects.  Teach- 
ers may  either  organize  reading  circles  or  do  the  work  alone. 
Some  of  the  county  superintendents  require  all  teachers  to 
read  and  report  on  at  least  two  books.  All  are  urged  to  do 
some  of  the  work  whether  required  to  do  so  or  not.  The 
books  adopted  for  1914-1915  are : 

1.  The  Health  Index  of  Children Hoag; 

Whitaker  & Ray — Wiggin  Co.,  San  Francisco $0.80 

2.  Teaching  the  Common  Branches Charters ; 

Houghton,  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston $1.35 

3.  Literature  in  the  Common  Schools Cox ; 

Little,  Brown  & Co.,  Boston $0.90 

4.  The  Corn  Lady Field; 

A.  Flanagan  Co.,  Chicago $0.50 

5.  Among  Country  Schools Kern; 

Ginn  & Co.,  Chicago $1.25 

6.  American  Irrigation  Farming Olin; 

A.  C.  McClurg  & Co.,  Chicago $1.25 

7.  Elementary  School  Standards McMurry; 

World  Book  Co.,  Yonkers-on-Hudson,  N.  Y $1.12 

8.  High  School  Education Johnson; 

Charles  Scribners’  Sons,  New  York $1.50 

9.  The  Spirit  of  Youth Addams; 

McMillan  Co.,  Chicago $1.25 

10.  Rural  Life  and  Education Cubberly; 

Houghton,  Mifflin  & Co $1.50 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


15 


SCHOOL  BUILDINGS  AND  GROUNDS 

The  country  teacher  is  obliged  to  accept  conditions  as 
they  exist,  but  she  is  not  capable  of  leadership  of  the  re- 
directed rural  school  if  she  is  satisfied  with  those  conditions 
and  does  not  do  something  to  improve  them.  We  need  more 
teachers  with  a determination  of  an  Edison,  who,  when  told 
that  a certain  piece  of  work  was  impossible,  is  quoted  as 
saying:  “It  must  be  done  and  therefore  it  can  be  done.” 
Before  a start  is  made  the  teacher  should  get  in  touch  with 
the  county  superintendent  and  plan  with  him  on  the  lines 
of  attack.  Her  efforts  will  be  'misdirected  if  she  does  not 
become  informed  on  the  rules  and  regulations  of  the  State 
Board  of  Education  and  State  Board  of  Health  in  regard  to 
plans  for  school  buildings,  sources  and  location  of  water 
supply,  heating  and  ventilation,  privies,  school  grounds  and 
inspection  by  health  officers.  All  of  this  information  is  given 
in  a pamphlet,  “Regulations  and  Advice  Concerning  School 
Buildings,”  which  may  be  had  for  the  asking  by  writing  to 
the  Department  of  Education,  Boise. 

After  becoming  informed  the  first  thing  to  do  is  to  arouse 
public  conscience,  for  the  school  authorities  can  go  only  as 
rapidly  as  the  community  is  willing  to  go.  “Begin  with  the 
children.  As  soon  as  they  are  directed  to  see  conditions 
they  will  believe  what  they  see.  They  are  not  prejudiced. 
They  will  talk  about  it;  teacher,  father,  mother  will  hear.” 
Have  language  lessons,  arithmetic  lessons,  drawing  lessons, 
construction  lessons  on  model  school  buildings,  repairing  old 
buildings,  attractive  school  grounds  or  any  other  phase  that 
needs  community  attention. 

Fill  your  library  with  reference  material  and  use  it  with 
children  and  adults.  Many  of  the  books  on  country  life 
mentioned  in  this  handbook  contain  chapters  on  this  subject. 
Use  the  pamphlets  mentioned  above.  Send  to  the  Bureau  of 
Education,  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  the  illustrated  bulletin, 
“Rural  School  Houses  and  Grounds”  (50  cts.),  and  to  the 
Department  of  Forestry,  University  of  Idaho,  for  their 
pamphlet  on  “Tree  Planting.”  Send  to  the  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  the  free  bulletins,  “Tree 
Planting  on  Rural  School  Grounds”  (No.  134)  and  “Annual 
Flowering  Plants”  (No.  195). 

If  you  are  working  for  a new  or  remodeled  building, 
create  a sentiment  for  one  that  is  large  enough  for  a com- 
munity center  and  so  arranged  that  it  will  be  convenient  for 
social  affairs.  Study  plans  so  that  you  will  have  some  prac- 
tical and  concrete  ideas  on  the  subject.  Generalizing  will  not 
go  far:  Get  the  patrons  to  visit  schools  so  that  they  may 


16 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


see  conditions  as  they  are.  Have  a “Clean-up  Day”  or  a 
“School  Yard  Improvement  Day”  so  that  all  may  have  a 
hand  in  improving  their  school.  The  disgraceful  indifference 
and  neglect  of  teachers  and  trustees  is  indicated  by  the 
shameful  conditions  of  the  school  grounds.  One  who  knows 
the  majority  of  rural  schools  in  a large  part  of  Idaho,  testi- 
fies that  in  only  two  places  have  attempts  apparently  been 
made  to  beautify  rural  school  grounds,  and  both  of  those 
are  under  city  systems.  Even  in  the  wealthy  timber  sections 
of  northern  Idaho,  where  there  are  many  modern  and  con- 
venient buildings,  the  esthetic  is  absolutely  lacking. 

“In  the  country  we  do  not  appreciate  fully  the  educa- 
tional influence  of  environment.  The  daily  routine  of  hard 
work  is  much  harder  to  endure  when  there  are  wanting 
those  elements  of  soul  development  which  inspire  the  youth 
with  new  ideals.  The  secret  of  keeping  more  hoys  satisfied 
with  the  fo^rms  rests  primarily  with  the  character  of  the 
country  school  house  and  its  surroundings.  Why  do  not 
trees  grow  in  many  country  school  yards,  when  they  thrive 
with  great  vigor  around  the  farm  home  a few  rods  away? 
Some  one  will  do  us  a great  service  if  he  will  tell  us  the 
particular  microbe  and  its  method  of  cultivation  and  culture 
that  will  correct  the  unproductive  character  of  the  soil  in  so 
many  school  yards,  with  especial  reference  to  trees,  flowers, 
vines,  shrubbery,  etc.” 

Are  the  following  your  problems? 

1.  Floor  area  not  less  than  15  sq.  ft.  for  each  pupil. 

2.  Light  falling  either  to  the  left  or  to  the  left  and  back 

of  pupils;  windows  “banked”  (close  together)  and 
equal  to  at  least  1/6  of  floor  space. 

3.  Privies  at  least  fifty  feet  apart  and  screened  from  view, 

and  at  least  one  hundred  feet  from  the  well  or  other  water 
supply. 

4.  School  ground  enclosed. 

5.  Playground  apparatus. 

6.  Trees,  shrubbery  and  vines  planted. 

7.  School  house  fence  and  out-buildings  painted. 

EQUIPMENT  AND  SUPPLIES 

President  Garfield  said  that  Mark  Hopkins  on  our  end 
of  a log  and  a student  on  the  other  was  a university  but 
even  Mark  Hopkins’  influence  would  have  been  counteracted 
had  he  been  obliged  to  work  in  the  sordid  atmosphere  of  the 
average  rural  school.  A well  equipped  school  and  a success- 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


17 


ful  one  are  by  no  means  synonymous  terms  but  cleanliness 
and  a good  equipment  are  very  important  in  creating  an  in- 
tellectual atmosphere. 

A resourceful  teacher  can  do  efficient  work  with  the 
crudest  equipment,  and  many  an  Idaho  teacher  has  proven 
her  worth  by  ingeniously  making  her  own  apparatus.  The 
teacher  who  has  enough  initiative  to  make  a globe  out  of  a 
pumpkin  and  a handful  of  clay,  a black-board  out  of  an  old 
window  shade  and  an  oven  out  of  a coal  oil  can  will  best 
know  how  to  use  supplies  that  are  furnished.  Most  teachers 
will  be  able  to  get  necessary  equipment  if  they  know  specifi- 
cally what  they  want,  where  it  may  be  purchased  and  how 
much  it  costs  and  present  their  needs  in  a business-like  way 
to  the  trustees.  It  behooves  the  new  generation  of  teachers 
to  make  a study  of  such  things  and  be  definite  in  their  re- 
quests. 

The  money  that  is  used  in  so  many  districts  for  a plane- 
tarium, useless  charts,  a clock  and  an  expensive  bell  would 
better  be  spent  on  a phonograph,  good  pictures,  domestic 
science  and  manual  training  equipment  and  a sewing  ma- 
chine. However,  hundreds  of  schools  in  this  State  are  rais- 
ing money  through  social  affairs  to  get  equipment  which 
is  now  a necessity. 

Much  information  and  inspiration  in  regard  to  equip- 
ment may  be  gained  by  reading  Kern’s  “Among  Country 
Schools”  (Chapter  5)  ; Carney’s  “Country  Life  and  the 
Country  School”  (Chapter  10  and  pages  340-358)  ; “Regula- 
tions and  Advice  Concerning  School  Buildings”  from  the  De- 
partment of  Education,  Boise ; “Social  Activities,”  a bulletin 
published  by  Lewiston  State  Normal  (See  bibliography, 
pages  23  and  33)  ; and  “An  Experimental  Rural  School  of 
Winthrop  College,”  a bulletin  published  by  the  Bureau  of 
Education,  Washington,  D.  C.  (5  cents). 

Do  you  know  the  best  kind  of  school  furniture? 

What  kind  of  window  shades  are  now  being  recommended? 

What  advantage  is  the  heater  over  the  old  type  stove?  How 
much  will  one  cost? 

What  is  the  most  economical  and  sanitary  water  cooler? 

How  much  black  board  space  do  you  need?  What  is  the  best 
kind? 

What  is  the  best  method  of  purchasing  maps? 

What  grades  of  paper  and  pens  are  needed  for  the  new  system 
of  penmanship? 

How  much  is  your  handwork  supply  bpdget? 

What  is  the  cost  of  a blue  flame  oil  stove  and  a few  needed  cook- 
ing utensils? 


18 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


What  manual  training  tools  are  necessary  for  elementary  wood 
work? 

Do  you  know  how  to  make  a sand  table?  A bulletin  board? 

Have  you  a fuel  box? 

Where  can  you  buy  good  pictures  and  have  them  framed 
artistically? 

Do  you  know  how  far  a foot  scraper  and  a door  mat  will  go 
toward  hygienic  conditions  of  your  school  room? 

Do  you  know  the  best  color  of  paints  for  the  school  walls? 

How  much  oil  will  it  take  for  your  floor? 

How  much  will  a small  Victroia  cost?  What  would  be  the  best 
selection  of  records  for  a little  money? 

If  the  above  are  not  answered  in  the  books  recommended, 
write  to  your  county  superintendent  or  nearest  normal 
school  for  needed  information. 

SANITATION  AND  HYGIENE 

The  country  teacher  must  share  responsibility  with  trus- 
tees in  regard  to  the  sanitary  conditions  of  the  school  house 
and  privies  for  even  if  she  does  not  do  her  own  janitor  work 
she  must  direct  and  oversee  it.  School  room  sanitation 
should  he  measured  by  that  of  the  best  hospitals  and  a teach- 
er’s standard  by  her  hatred  of  dirt , decay  and  neglect.  Again 
quoting  from  Kern’s  “Among  Country  Schools “A  teacher 
ought  not  to  be  compelled  to  scrub  the  floor  and  wash  the 
windows,  but  rather  than  teach  in  a dirty  building  from 
month  to  month  I would  clean  it  or  quit  the  school.  The 
teacher  can  organize  a sanitary  commission  with  herself  as 
President  and  Chief  of  Medical  Staff.  If  school  authorities 
would  not  do  their  duty,  if  I wanted  to  teach,  and  I had  to 
live  in  a room  six  hours  a day  for  twenty-two  days  in  the 
month  for  six  months  of  the  year,  then  for  the  children’s 
sake  I would  cure  some  things  rather  than  endure  them  or 
I would  get  out.” 

For  the  sake  of  the  34,000  boys  and  girls  in  the  rural 
schools  of  Idaho  who  have  not  had  “a  square  deal,”  start  a 
sanitary  campaign. 

1.  Are  the  common  drinking  cups  and  common  towel  prohibited? 

2.  Is  the  school  furnished  with  a sanitary  drinking  fountain  or 

covered  water  tank?  (See  Rule  39,  State  Board  of  Health 

bulletin.) 

3.  Are  there  facilities  for  washing  hands  and  face? 

4.  Is  the  floor  of  the  school  house  swept  well  every  night  (not 

morning)  ? 

5.  Is  the  floor  oiled? 

6.  Are  good  brooms,  mop,  pails,  cloths,  soap  and  cleaning  compound 

provided? 


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19 


7.  Is  the  furniture  cleaned  daily  with  an  oiled  or  damp  cloth? 

8.  Are  the  blackboards  and  erasers  cleaned  every  night? 

9.  Is  the  air  in  the  school  room  changed  several  times  a day? 

10.  Have  you  boards  or  some  other  form  of  window  ventilators  ? 

11.  Is  a thermometer  provided  and  temperature  kept  at  about  70°  ? 

12.  Is  the  stove  blacked  frequently? 

13.  Are  the  vestibules,  cupboards  and  bookcases  tidy? 

14.  Is  there  a shelf  or  cupboard  provided  for  the  dinner  pails? 

15.  Are  there  hooks  provided  for  each  pupil’s  wraps?  Are  those 

wraps  neatly  hung  on  the  hooks  or  allowed  to  lie  on  the  floor? 

16.  If  you  do  not  have  a school  heater,  is  there  a sheet-iron  jacket 

around  the  stove?  (See  “Among  Country  Schools,”  pages 
89  and  90.) 

17.  Are  foot  scrapers  and  door  mats  provided?  If  so,  are  they  used? 

18.  Is  the  wood  kept  in  a box  for  that  purpose  or  thrown  on  the 

floor? 

19.  Are  both  privies  inspected  by  the  teacher  several  times  a week? 

20.  Is  a box  of  chloride  of  lime  provided  in  each  privy? 

21.  Are  the  privies  provided  with  lock  and  key  and  are  they  locked 

every  night? 

22.  Is  the  school  house  locked  and  are  the  windows  fastened? 

23.  Are  the  out-buildings,  school  house  and  furniture  absolutely  free 

from  all  defacing  and  obscene  marks?  If  not,  paint  or  white- 
wash the  school  house  and  out-buildings  and  use  a carpenter’s 
plane,  sandpaper,  Jap-a-lac  or  soap  and  water  on  the  fur- 
niture. 


PREVENTION  OF  DISEASE 

Sanitary  school  houses,  out-houses  and  surroundings  are 
the  first  essentials  in  the  protection  of  the  health  of  the 
children.  Contrary  to  the  general  opinion,  the  health  condi- 
tions in  rural  districts  are  much  below  those  in  urban  com- 
munities. One  reason  for  this  is  the  lack  of  ventilation  in 
farm  houses  and  country  schools.  When  pupils  are  dull, 
listless  and  sleepy  or  restless  and  irritable,  it  is  time  to  open 
the  windows  and  have  the  pupils  march  or  skip  until  the 
impure  air  has  been  replaced  by  fresh  air. 

A teacher’s  knowledge  of  the  symptoms  of  communicable 
disease  may  save  the  lives  of  her  pupils.  She  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  diagnose  cases  but  she  will  always  be  on  the  safe 
side  to  exclude  from  her  school,  children  with  rash,  sore 
throat,  flushed  faces,  headaches  or  coughs.  Every  teacher 
should  be  familiar  with  Article  XV  of  the  Idaho  School 
Laws  (1915  edition). 

When  the  pupils  recite  about  the  care  of  the  teeth,  the 
prevention  of  tuberculosis',  the  dangers,  of  foul  air  and  do 
not  put  into  practice  what  they  have  learned,  one  wonders 
what  good  the  study  of  physiology  is  doing  in  our  schools. 


20 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


Is  the  rural  school  a laggard  in  applying  the  hygiene  which 
it  teaches  ? It  is  not  necessary  that  children  know  the  num- 
ber and  names  of  the  bones  of  the  body  (not  even  to  pass 
eighth  grade  examinations)  but  it  is  very  essential  that  they 
understand  and  OBSERVE  the  rules  of  health. 

STANDARDIZATION  OF  SCHOOLS 

In  order  to  provide  tangible  measurements  for  rural 
schools  (one  more  step  to  procure  educational  democracy) 
a set  of  standards  are  given  by  which  the  schools  are  to  be 
scored  by  the  county  superintendent.  A rating  card  will  be 
sent  to  the  clerk  of  the  school  board  and  the  teacher  at  the 
opening  of  school  in  the  fall  and  a copy  of  the  superintend- 
ent’s rating  to  each  of  the  above  later  in  the  school  year. 
The  Standard  School  Rating  Card  is  to  be  hung  on  the 
school  wall  where  the  pupils  and  patrons  will  be  able  to  see 
it.  The  teacher  will  be  expected  to  discuss  the  requirements 
with  pupils  and  patrons  and  at  some  community  meeting 
early  in  the  year  teachers  and  trustees  are  urged  to  explain 
the  plan  of  standardization,  its  purpose  and  the  steps  that 
will  be  necessary  to  meet  the  requirements.  It  is  the  people’s 
school  and  the  people’s  meeting  so  every  effort  should  be  put 
forth  to  get  all  of  the  community  to  work  to  raise  the  stand- 
ards. A method  used  in  Oregon  to  get  patrons  to  think  and 
discuss  the  details  of  the  requirements  is  very  helpful.  At 
the  community  meeting  in  which  the  standardization  plan  is 
taken  up,  pass  around  written  questions  numbered  consecu- 
tively. When  the  number  is  called  by  the  chairman,  the 
person  holding  the  number  will  read  it  and  answer  the  same. 
Such  questions  as  the  following  might  be  suitable : How  can 
we  change  the  lighting  of  the  building  so  there  will  be  no 
chance  for  cross  lights?  How  can  we  procure  some  play- 
ground apparatus?  How  can  our  school  house  and  out- 
buildings be  made  more  sanitary?  What  needed  equipment 
should  we  get?  Is  it  a good  plan  to  hire  a different  teacher 
each  term,  or  would  it  be  better  to  pay  a little  more  and 
have  the  same  teacher  year  after  year? 

The  county  superintendents  are  also  to  make  use  of  all 
the  newspapers  in  the  county  to  keep  the  subject  of  stand- 
ardization before  the  people,  and  to  publish  at  the  end  of  the 
school  year  the  list  of  the  standard  schools  in  the  county. 
It  would  be  well  for  the  teachers  to  report  the  community 
meetings  and  the  discussions  which  takes  place  as  above 
mentioned.  There  will  not  be  much  difficulty  in  carrying  on 
the  work  if  local  pride  and  initiative  are  aroused  by  such 
questions  and  such  advertising. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


21 


The  requirements  as  given  below  are  adopted  from  those 
sent  out  in  pamphlet  form  a year  ago.  More  emphasis  is  put 
on  the  teacher’s  work  and  school  efficiency  as  there  has  been 
a danger  in  some  states  that  the  school  work  be  lost  sight 
of  in  the  effort  to  improve  the  physical  conditions.  A very 
modest  building  with  meager  equipment  is  often  the  most 
sanitary,  and  occasionally  the  poor  isolated  district  that  hap- 
pens to  get  a teacher  with  a broad  vision  and  a missionary 
spirit  has  the  most  progressive  and  effective  school.  The 
standard  will  be  raised  each  year  or  two  so  that  there  can 
be  no  stagnation.  A standard  school  must  score  100 
points,  out  of  a possible  125.  All  schools  receiving  favorable 
reports  shall  be  placed  in  the  published  list  of  “standard” 
schools  and  a certificate  will  be  forwarded  to  the  school. 

THE  TEACHER— 50  Points 

Maximum  Allowed  by 
Points  Co.  Supt. 


At  least  one  year  of  professional  training  or  a high 

school  graduate • 3 

Grade  of  certificate • • 4 

At  least  two  books  from  Teachers’  Reading  Course 

read  during  the  year 2 

At  least  one  educational  journal  used 1 

Daily  program,  with  seat  work  indicated,  posted 

and  followed  3 

Intelligent  combination  and  alternation  of  classes  3 

Number  of  recitations  not  to  exceed  28  in  a large 

school  and  in  proportion  in  small  school 3 

As  much  time  given  to  lower  grades  as  upper 3 

Daily  preparation  of  work 4 

All  children  profitably  employed  during  seat  period  3 

Good  order  maintained  at  all  times 3 

Neatness  of  work  and  appearance 3 

Supervised  play  3 

Live  in  the  community  seven  days  of  the  week 3 

Intelligent  use  of  text  books  and  State  course  of 

study  3 

Work  in  agriculture,  domestic  science,  manual  train- 
ing and  music  4 

Teacher  returned  for  second  year  2 

BUILDING— 16  Points  ^ 

225  cubic  feet  of  air  space  per  pupil 2 

15  square  feet  of  floor  space  per  pupil 2 

Windows  to  the  left  or  to  the  left  and  back  equal 

to  at  least  1/6  of  floor  space 2 

Buildings  painted  on  outside 2 

Floor  well  oiled 1 

Walls  freshly  tinted,  painted  or  papered 2 

Good  cloak  rooms  2 

Cleanliness  and  attractiveness 3 


22 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


EQUIPMENT— 25  Points 

Single  desks  to  fit  pupils 2 

At  least  20  ft.  of  good  blackboard  fitted  with  chalk 

troughs  and  molding  on  three  sides 3 

Heating  and  ventilating  system  or  jacketed  stoves  3 

Bookcase  and  musical  instruments 2 

Maps,  globe  and  dictionary  3 

Well  selected  library;  supplementary  readers  for 

lower  grades;  agricultural  bulletins;  magazines  3 

Sanitary  water  supply  3 

Flag  flying  on  all  clear  days  ....  1 

At  least  two  standard  pictures,  well  framed 1 

Domestic  science  or  manual  training  equipment.  ...  1 


Allowed  by 
Co.  Supt. 


GROUNDS— 17  Points 

Well  drained  play  grounds  of  at  least  an  acre 3 

Two  separate  sanitary  closets  or  two  clean  privies 
at  least  50  ft.  apart  and  100  ft.  from  well  or 

cistern  3 

Screens  around  out-buildings 1 

At  least  two  pieces  of  play  ground  apparatus 2 

Fence,  gate  and  walks 2 

Trees,  shrubbery  and  vines,  etc 3 

Building,  fence,  etc.,  free  from  all  defacing  and  ob- 
scene marks  • • 3 


COMMUNITY  ACTIVITIES— 10  Points 


One  or  more  boys’  and  girls’  clubs 3 

Regular  community  meetings,  school  literary  soci- 
ety, Parent-Teacher  Association  or  other  social 

gathering  4 

Play  festival,  field  meet,  school  and  community  fair 

and  county  spelling  contest 3 

ATTENDANCE— 7 Points 

Average  term  attendance  at  least  85%. 4 

Tardiness  not  to  exceed  2%  for  the  year 3 

Total  125 


COMBINATION  AND  ALTERNATION  OF  CLASSES 

One  of  the  most  difficult  problems  of  the  country  teacher 
is  the  organization  of  her  school  (1)  so  that  the  time  will  be 
evenly  divided  between  the  younger  and  older  pupils  and 
(2)  so  that  the  grades  and  subjects  be  combined  and  alter- 
nated to  give  more  time  to  class  work  by  having  fewer  reci- 
tations. The  one-teacher  schools  of  this  State  will  be  con- 
sidered in  two  classes : 

1.  A large  school  (of  more  than  twenty-five  pupils)  with 
all  eight  grades. 

2.  A small  school  (of  twenty-five  pupils  or  less) . 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


23 


Let  us  see  what  combinations  can  be  used  or  made  to 
reduce  the  school  program  to  a maximum  of  twenty-eight 
recitation  periods  (including  general  exercises)  for  a school 
of  the  first  class  and  in  proportion  for  a smaller  school. 
Theoretically,  there  should  never  be  more  than  twenty 
periods  a day  for  any  one-teacher  school,  however  large,  but 
those  who  know  the  Idaho  conditions  best  realize  that  the 
change  must  be  gradual.  Therefore,  the  Board  of  Educa- 
tion is  conservative  in  its  requirements  for  a better  division 
of  the  school  day. 

Several  states  have  for  years  successfully  carried  out  a 
plan  of  alternation  of  classes  by  years  to  give  more  time  to 
each  grade.  This  plan  Idaho  will  adopt  beginning  Septem- 
ber, 1916.  Teachers  and  superintendents  should  co-operate 
in  educating  patrons  to  see  the  increased  advantage  of  such 
a plan  to  the  school  as  a whole. 

There  are  several  subjects  that  lend  themselves  to  such 
combinations  and  alternations,  as  reading,  spelling  and  lan- 
guage. Other  subjects  may  easily  come  under  this  plan  in 
certain  parts  of  the  course.  For  example,  it  makes  no  great 
difference  whether  Europe  and  Asia  or  South  America  and 
Africa  be  studied  first,  so  sixth  grade  and  seventh  grade 
geography  can  easily  be  combined,  but  the  fourth  grade  geog- 
raphy pupils  need  the  undivided  attention  of  the  teacher,  as 
that  is  the  first  year  that  they  study  a text  book  by  them- 
selves. The  eighth  grade  arithmetic  course,  which  includes 
mensuration,  square  root  and  reviews,  does  not  depend  upon 
seventh  grade  work  (the  applications  of  percentage)  so  why 
not  combine  those  two  classes,  taking  the  subjects  outlined 
in  the  Course  of  Study  for  seventh  grade  odd  years  and 
eighth  grade  even  years? 

The  following  is  the  plan  outlined : 

LANGUAGE— 

Grades  II  and  III. 

Take  second  grade  work  as  given  in  the  Course  of  Study 
even  years  (1916,  1918,  etc.),  and  the  third  grade  work  odd 
years  (1917,  1919,  etc.).  The  first  grade  will  take  their  lan- 
guage in  connection  with  reading.  (See  Course  of  Study  for 
first  grade  language.) 

Grades  IV  and  V. 

Take  fourth  grade  work  even  years  (1916,  1918,  etc.),  and 
fifth  grade  work  odd  years  (1917,  1919,  etc.). 

Grades  VI  and  VII. 

Sixth  grade  work  even  years  and  seventh  grade  work  odd 
years. 


24 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


READING — 

Grades  V and  VI. 

Fifth  grade  work  even  years  and  sixth  grade  work  odd 
years. 

Grades  VII  and  VIII. 

Seventh  grade  work  even  years  and  eighth  grade  work  odd 
years. 

SPELLING — 

No  attention  to  be  paid  to  grades.  Divide  school  (pf  all 
grades)  into  three  divisions,  according  to  ability  to  spell. 
This  may  mean  that  a sixth  grade  boy  is  in  the  A division 
and  an  eighth  grade  boy  in  the  B division.  Probably  it  will 
be  best  to  promote  and  demote  once  a month.  Use  only  the 
most  common  words  from  the  Speller,  but  take  the  majority 
of  words  from  the  other  school  subjects,  home  and  community 
interests.  ( List  of  words  taught  must  be  kept  for  reviews 
and  for  use  of  next  teacher.  This  last  is  very  important.) 

AGRICULTURE — 

Grades  VI,  VII  and  VIII. 

ARITHMETIC— 

Grades  IV  and  V. 

Fourth  grade  work  even  years  and  fifth  grade  work  odd 
years. 

Grades  VII  and  VIII. 

Eighth  grade  work  even  years  and  seventh  grade  work 
odd  years. 

GEOGRAPHY — 

Grades  V and  VI. 

Fifth  grade  work  even  years;  sixth  grade  work  odd  years. 

HISTORY — 

Grades  VII  and  VIII. 

Eighth  grade  work  even  years;  seventh  grade  work  odd 
years.  (Notice  the  plan  of  alternation  for  7th  and  8th  arith- 
metic and  history  is  reversed  from  that  of  other  combinations.) 

HYGIENE  (OR  PHYSIOLOGY)  — 

Grades  VI  and  VII. 

Sixth  grade  work  even  years;  seventh  grade  work  odd 
years. 

History  and  Geography  as  subjects  are  to  be  alternated  from  the 
fifth  through  the  seventh  grade.  Teachers  may  give  half  a year  to 
one  and  the  remainder  of  the  term  to  the  other,  or  three  days  of  the 
week  to  one  and  two-  days  to  the  other,  the  latter  plan  being  preferable. 

ELIMINATION  OF  GRADES 

A further  requirement  which  the  Department  of  Educa- 
tion is  going  to  make  to  give  more  time  to  the  school  as  a 
whole,  has  been  in  operation  for  years  in  one-teacher  schools 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


25 


in  several  states.  This  plan  will  be  for  the  small  school 
(25  pupils  or  less,  which  now  has  eight  grades)  to  eliminate 
two  grades  so  that  nowhere  in  the  state  will  there  be  one 
teacher  attempting  to  do  efficient  work  with  only  one  or  tivo 
or  three  pupils  in  each  class.  The  plan  for  elimination  is 
as  follows : 

Imagine  a school  of  twenty-five  pupils  distributed  in  the 
following  classes : 5 pupils  in  the  first  grade,  4 in  the  second, 
4 in  the  third,  2 in  the  fourth,  3 in  the  fifth,  3 in!  the  sixth, 
1 in  the  seventh  and  3 in  the  eighth  grade.  The  fourth  and 
seventh  grades  are  the  smallest  in  the  school,  too  small  to 
arouse  much  interest  or  to  produce  “an  audience  situation.” 
Let  us  consider  the  two  fourth  grade  pupils.  Imagine  one 
as  regular  in  attendance,  very  good  in  reading,  language 
and  memory  subjects  (spelling,  geography,  etc.)  but  poor  in 
arithmetic,  probably  due  to  weakness  in  reasoning.  Now  as 
justice  to  the  child,  as  well  as  for  the  purpose  of  dropping 
one  grade,  let  him  try  the  fifth  grade  work  in  geography, 
history  and  reading  (the  subjects  in  which  he  is  strong) 
and  let  him  repeat  the  third  grade  arithmetic  (the  subject 
in  which  he  is  weak) . Suppose  the  other  child  in  the  fourth 
grade  is  irregular  in  attendance,  weak  in  memory  subjects, 
but  very  good  in  reading  and  arithmetic.  Let  him  try  the 
fifth  grade  reading.  In  all  one-room  schools  fourth  and  fifth 
grades  are  to  be  combined  in  arithmetic  and  language,  so 
this  child  who  is  irregular  in  attendance  is  promoted  in 
reading  only.  The  geography  in  which  he  is  weak,  he  will 
not  take  until  the  following  year.  In  the  same  way  the 
seventh  grade,  which  in  this  imaginary  school  has  only  one 
pupil,  may  easily  be  eliminated  as  geography,  history  and 
arithmetic  are  the  only  subjects  which  any  seventh  grade 
in  one-teacher  schools  will  take  alone. 

The  above  situation  is  a typical  one.  Teachers  will  have 
to  decide  which  grades  to  do  away  with.  That  will  depend 
upon  (1)  the  size  of  grades,  (2)  regularity  of  attendance, 
and  (3)  age  and  mentality  of  the  pupils  in  the  smaller 
grades.  Probably  the  size  of  the  grades  will  be  the  strongest 
factor  in  her  decision. 

There  may  be  parental  objections  to  this  new  plan  unless 
the  teacher  explains  and  shows  the  increased  advantage  this 
arrangement  will  give.  It  is  very  poor  pedagogy  from  the 
child’s  standpoint  to  keep  him  back  in  all  subjects  because 
he  is  weak  in  only  one  or  two,  or  not  to  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  lay  a good  foundation  in  the  one  or  two  weak 
subjects  by  repeating  the  work  of  the  previous  year.  This 
change  will  somewhat  upset  the  system  of  grading  but  it 


26 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


must  be  sacrificed  rather  than  the  welfare  of  the  individual  and 
the  good  of  the  school  as  a whole. 

This  plan  as  given  here  embodies  all  that  is  suggested  in 
the  State  Course  of  Study  but  up  to  the  present  time  has 
not  been  adopted  as  it  has  been  left  to  the  option  of  the 
teachers.  To  avoid  confusion,  all  of  the  one-teacher  schools  of 
eight  grades  will  be  expected  to  carry  into  operation  the  plan  of 
elimination  of  grades  and  alternation  of  subjects,  beginning  in  the 
fall  of  1916.  The  combination  of  grades  in  subjects  like  read- 
ing, language  and  spelling  may  begin  more  gradually,  as 
soon  as  this  bulletin  reaches  the  hands  of  rural  teachers. 

THE  DAILY  PROGRAM 

The  following  principles  of  daily  program  construction 
should  be  carefully  studied : 

1.  Provide  definite  work  for  all  grades,  while  they  are 
in  the  school  room.  This  includes  seat  work  periods  as  well 
as  recitation  periods. 

2.  Give  nearly  the  same  total  time  to  each  grade.  The 
size  of  the  grade  will  be  an  important  factor  in  this  time 
division. 

3.  Meet  the  beginning  classes,  very  soon  after  assemb- 
ling the  school  at  the  beginning  of  the  four  main  subdivisions 
of  the  day. 

4.  Study  periods  should  usually  follow  the  recitation 
periods,  while  the  details  of  the  assignment  are  clearly  in 
mind. 

5.  Writing  should  never  follow  a recess  period  or  other 
time  spent  in  active  muscular  play  or  work. 

6.  The  more  difficult  subjects  should  come  early  in  the 
day  or  soon  after  a period  of  rest  or  play.  (Reading,  which 
is  the  most  difficult  lesson  for  the  first  two  or  three  grades, 
should  come  early  in  both  morning  and  afternoon.  This 
subject  is  one  of  the  easiest  for  the  upper  grades  and  may 
be  placed  late  in  the  day  for  them. 

7.  Plan  the  industrial  work  to  come  late  in  the  after- 
noon when  the  waves  of  fatigue  are  low. 

Probably  the  first  principle  is  the  one  most  often  neglect- 
ed and  is  by  far  the  most  important  one  in  a school  of  several 
grades.  If  the  seat  work  for  every  grade,  for  every  period  of  the 
day,  is  not  as  carefully  planned  as  the  recitation  time,  the  teacher 
cannot  do  efficient  work.  If  the  seat  work  is  not  indicated  on  the 
program,  it  is  almost  sure  to  he  neglected.  As  the  daily  program 
is  such  an  important  factor  in  the  success  of  the  rural  school, 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


27 


the  teachers  will  he  required  to  send  a copy  during  the  first 
month  of  the  term  to  the  county  superintendent.  Indicate 
the  seat  work  in  the  program  in  a similar  way  to  that  given 
in  this  handbook.  A duplicate  copy  of  the  program  posted 
in  a conspicuous  place  in  the  school  room , will  also  he  re- 
quired of  the  teacher. 

We  have  in  this  book  a suggestive  program  for  a large 
school  (more  than  25  pupils)  of  eight  grades,  where  elimina- 
tion of  classes  seems  impossible  because  of  the  large  size  of 
each  grade.  If  a large  school  should  happen  to  have  one  or 
two  grades  above  the  first  and  below  the  eighth  in  which 
there  are  only  one,  two  or  three  pupils,  the  above  plan  of 
grade  elimination  should  be  put  into  operation.  Another 
program  for  a five  grade  school  is  also  given. 

The  advantage  of  these  programs  over  many  of  the  very 
good  ones  that  are  in  print,  is  the  equal  division  of  time 
between  lower  and  upper  grades.  If  the  first  and  second 
grades  are  larger  than  the  seventh  and  eighth  grades,  even 
more  time  should  be  given  the  little  ones  at  the  expense  of 
the  older  children.  If  the  foundation  is  not  good,  it  will  be 
too  late  to  expect  efficient  work  in  the  intermediate  and 
grammar  grades.  There  must  be  a concerted  effort  on  the  part 
of  teachers  and  patrons  to  put  a stop  to  the  common  but  unpeda- 
gogical  practice  of  “cramming  children”  for  eighth  grade  examina- 
tions. There  is  no  danger  of  children  failing  in  those  exam- 
inations if  (1)  they  have  been  properly  taught  in  the  lower 
grades  and  their  share  of  the  teacher’s  time  has  been  given 
to  them  and  (2)  they  have  been  regular  in  attendance.  Re- 
member the  aim  of  rural  education  is  not  to  pass  eighth 
grade  examinations,  but — Better  Men,  Better  Farming,  Bet- 
ter Living. 

This  program  for  an  eight-grade  school  may  be  adapted 
to  a “small  school”  (25  pupils  or  less)  where  the  plan  of 
elimination  of  two  grades  is  put  into  operation.  This  ad- 
justment will  depend  entirely  upon  the  two  classes  that  are 
cut  out.  For  example,  in  the  imaginary  school  which  we 
have  used  for  illustration,  the  fourth  and  seventh  grades  are 
dropped.  You  will  notice  in  the  first  program  given  neither 
fourth  nor  seventh  grades  recite  alone  as  a class  until  after- 
noon. By  omitting  fourth  grade  geography  (or  history) 
fourth  grade  reading  and  seventh  grade  geography  (or  his- 
tory) thirty  minutes  will  be  saved  to  be  distributed  among 
the  other  classes  which  need  it  the  most.  This  will  have  to  be 
left  to  the  judgment  of  the  teacher.  By  omitting  those  three 
classes,  it  will  have  twenty-five  periods  as  a maximum  where 
eight  grades  can  be  reduced  to  six. 


DAILY  PROGRAM  FOR  A LARGE  SCHOOL  OF  EIGHT  GRADES 


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Dismiss,  or  Outdoor  Recreation 


30 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


STUDY  PERIODS  AND  SEAT  WORK 

To  determine  what  was  actually  done  by  children  in 
school  when  not  reciting,  a rather  extensive  survey  of  typi- 
cal rural  schools  was  made  in  one  part  of  the  State. 
Groups  of  children  of  all  grades  in  each  school  were  closely 
observed  for  one  hour  of  the  day.  It  was  estimated  that  the 
waste  time  ranged  from  70%  in  the  first  grade  to  25%  in 
the  eighth.  Using  the  proportion  of  waste  time  as  given 
here,  which  is  a conservative  average,  a child  in  a seven 
months  school  has  had  what  would  be  equal  to  98  days  of 
idleness  for  the  first  year  of  his  school  life.  Do  you  wonder 
that  it  is  so  difficult  to  get  the  fourth  grade  to  concentrate 
when  they  have  had  three  years  of  dilly-dallying,  day  dream- 
ing and  mischief?  Even  in  the  best  planned  programs  for 
a school  of  over  four  or  five  grades,  each  class  averages  only 
28%  out  of  the  day  spent  in  recitation  or  general  exercise. 
What  is  to  be  done  with  the  remaining  72 % of  the  time? 
In  which  periods — study  or  recitation — will  habits  of  work 
or  idleness,  concentration  or  non-application,  have  best  op- 
portunity to  take  root?  Do  you  wonder  why  so  many  teach- 
ers and  parents  have  felt  it  necessary  for  the  eighth  grade 
to  “cram”  for  examinations?  The  reasons  are:  (1)  They 
were  so  neglected  in  the  lower  grades  that  they  had  no  foundation 
for  upper  grade  work.  (2)  They  did  not  learn  how  to  study  be- 
cause little  or  no  work  was  planned  for  them  for  three  years  or 
more  during  72%  of  the  day. 

To  help  teachers  to  overcome  this  serious  weakness,  the 
Department  of  Education  from  now  on  will  require  that  the 
seat  work  be  indicated  in  the  daily  program  for  every  period 
and  every  grade,  as  in  the  type  program  in  this  handbook. 
Teachers  are  urged  to  study  “Seat  Work  for  Rural  Schools,” 
a bulletin  published  by  the  Lewiston  State  Normal  School 
which  has  already  been  distributed  to  practically  every  coun- 
try teacher  in  the  State.  It  was  written  to  help  Idaho 
teachers 

1.  To  see  the  seriousness  of  the  idleness  habit. 

2.  To  plan  seat  work. 

3.  To  use  the  seat  work  to  supplement  and  enforce  the  class  work. 

4.  To  give  suggestions  and  devices  for  seat  work  to'  be  correlated 

with  common  school  subjects. 

Contrary  to  the  general  opinions  among  laymen,  the  in- 
dustrial work,  if  properly  planned,  not  only  strengthens  the 
formal  subjects  but  gives  profitable  employment  for  the  up- 
per grades  during  what  would  otherwise  be  idle  periods. 
If  for  no  other  reason  than  to  cure  the  serious  habit  of  waste 
of  time,  introduce  some  form  of  industrial  work.  Because 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


31 


the  teacher  does  not  find  time  to  supervise  the  manual  work 
for  more  than  one  or  two  hours  during  the  week  does  not 
mean  that  no  other  time  can  be  given  to  it.  Let  the  children 
earn  time 

1.  By  doing  better  work  in  formal  subjects  with  the  in- 

dustrial work  as  a reward. 

2.  By  concentrating  at  all  times  on  whatever  they  are  doing 

so  as  to  find  time  at  the  end  of  a session  for  manual 
work. 

Take  a critical  survey  of  your  own  school.  Measure  your 
own  efficiency  by  the  results  of  your  observations — 

1.  How  much  time  does  each  grade  spend  at  its  seat? 

2.  What  is  planned  for  each  class  for  each  seat  work 
period  of  the  day? 

3.  Do  the  children  feel  responsible  for  the  seat  work 
assigned?  If  not,  why  not? 

4.  Do  you  inspect  the  seat  work  that  is  not  book  study, 
and  do  you  lay  as  much  stress  on  it  as  on  recitation  work  ? 

5.  Do  you  give  the  first  grade  more  than  fifteen  minutes 
at  a time  on  book  study? 

6.  Do  you  give  the  eighth  grade  more  than  forty 
minutes  to  study  on  any  book  lesson? 

7.  Are  you  supplementing  practically  every  text  book 
assignment  of  every  grade  with  illustrative  work,  map  draw- 
ing, library  reference,  original  observation,  etc.? 

8.  Are  you  finishing  the  text  books  long  before  the  end 
of  the  year?  If  so,  have  you  not  given  too  long  lessons  that 
have  not  been  vitalized  by  supplementary  work? 

OPENING  EXERCISES 

It  is  doubtful  if  there  is  a period  during  the  school  day 
that  will  have  greater  results  than  the  ten  or  fifteen  minutes 
devoted  to  opening  or  morning  exercises.  Children  who  come 
from  cheerless  homes,  walking  long  distances  over  muddy 
roads  or  deep  snow,  deserve  the  best  possible  reward  for 
their  efforts  by  beginning  the  school  day  with  a general  ex- 
ercise that  makes  every  one  happy  and  leaves  the  right  atti- 
tude for  the  rest  of  the  day.  This  period,  if  well  planned 
for  the  whole  school  with  this  idea  in  mind,  will  cure  the 
tardiness  habit,  for  who  wants  to  miss  the  happiest  exercise 
of  the  whole  day? 

The  law  requires  you  to  teach  morals  and  manners.  This 
is  the  period  in  which  to  do  so,  not  by  formal  talks  or  les- 
sons but  through  informal  discussion  and  ethical  stories.. 


32 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


One  of  the  best  books  for  systematic  ethical  teaching  through 
story  telling  is  “Ethics  for  Children,”  by  Cabot.  (Any 
school  publishing  house,  $1.00.)  Informal  discussion  of  the 
need  of  older  children  protecting  the  younger,  unselfishness 
on  the  playground,  duty  of  children  to  parents,  school  loyal- 
ty, community  health  and  needs,  and  many  other  topics  of 
a similar  nature  will  have  a lasting  effect  if  rightly  ap- 
proached. Current  topics  should  be  taken  up  in  opening 
exercises  but  adapted  to  the  understanding  of  even  the 
youngest.  Weather  reports,  discussion  of  what  children 
read  at  home,  nature  talks,  and  method  of  beautifying  the 
school  and  the  home  are  legitimate  subjects  for  opening  ex- 
ercises. Many  teachers  have  wasted  this  time  reading  to 
children  some  book  of  a “semi-trashy”  nature  which  only 
a few  of  the  older  ones  can  comprehend.  If  time  is  limited, 
reading  to  the  school  is  not  the  best  method  of  conducting 
the  morning  exercises.  Music  is  by  far  the  most  important 
of  all  the  studies  mentioned  and  at  least  a part  of  this  period 
should  be  devoted  to  singing  patriotic  and  folk  songs.  (See 
topic  of  “Music”  in  this  bulletin.)  If  you  are  fortunate 
enough  to  have  a phonograph,  music  appreciation  should  be 
included. 

Have  a variety  in  the  opening  exercises.  Give  children 
surprises  of  a wholesome  nature.  Let  groups  of  children 
conduct  this  period  occasionally,  perhaps  each  grade  take 
their  turn  one  day  in  the  week.  Many  teachers'  journals 
give  helpful  ideas.  When  making  your  weekly  plans  keep 
these  aims  of  opening  exercises  in  mind : 

To  start  the  day  well. 

To  prevent  tardiness. 

To  teach  patriotism. 

To  arouse  community  and  school  spirit. 

To  set  high  standards  of  cleanliness. 

To  stimulate  moral  responsibility. 

To  appreciate  the  beauties  of  Nature. 

To  make  country  life  more  satisfying. 

To  cultivate  an  appreciation  of  good  music  and  a love 
for  American  patriotic  and  folk  songs. 

To  encourage  magazine  and  newspaper  reading  and  an 
interest  in*  world  affairs. 

USE  OF  TEXT  BOOKS  AND  COURSE  OF  STUDY 

No  text  book  author  knows  the  needs  and  interests  of 
individual  communities  and  no  text  book  was  ever  intended 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


33 


to  be  more  than  a guide  for  pupils  and  teachers.  Courses  of 
study  and  text  books  are  like  the  framework  of  a house  or 
the  skeleton  of  a body,  absolutely  essential  but  practically 
useless  by  themselves.  They  are  the  beginnings,  the  tools 
only,  and  should  be  used  as  such,  never  an  end  in  themselves, 
but  a means  to  an  end.  Only  the  most  thoughtless  amateur 
will  use  these  tools  for  more  than  a background,  but  before 
she  can  adapt  them  to  needs  of  the  community  she  must 
know  both  her  tools  and  her  neighborhood.  To  take  every 
example  in  arithmetic,  every  topic  in  geography  or  every 
word  in  spelling  is  the  height  of  folly.  Probably  it  is  a safe 
rule  to  go  by  to  give  three  times  as  much  supplementary 
work  as  text  book  study.  In  upper  grade  arithmetic,  for 
example,  the  principles  are  the  same  in  all  text  books,  though 
here  it  is  necessary  to  develop  each  new  step  in  class  before 
assigning  the  abstract  work  from  the  book.  No  text  book 
contains  even  the  required  amount  of  abstract  drill.  The 
supplementary  applications  of  every  topic  should  be  taken 
from  the  community  environment.  To  illustrate,  if  board 
measure  is  being  taught,  use  the  problems  of  the  farm  to 
round  out  the  work — laying  a floor  for  Mr.  A’s  house,  foun- 
dation for  Mr.  B’s  barn,  hog-tight  fence  for  Mr.  C’s  garden, 
parts  of  the  framework  of  Mr.  D’s  poultry  house  and  bill 
of  lumber  for  each. 

Study  the  questions  in  this  handbook  under  the  topic, 
“Getting  Acquainted  With  the  Community.,,  Accurate  in- 
formation along  those  lines  should  be  the  greatest  aid  in 
adapting  the  work  of  the  curriculum  to  the  neighborhood 
needs.  For  example,  the  information  you  get  in  regard  to 
health  conditions  should  help  you  to  decide  on  the  supple^ 
mentary  work  to  be  given  in  physiology — the  source  of 
water  supply,  the  breeding  place  of  flies  or  the  dangers  of 
patent  medicines.  After  taking  this  survey,  how  can  you 
vitalize  your  language  by  supplementary  work  to  improve 
neighborhood  conditions?  What  relation  is  there  between 
your  geography  and  the  good  road  problem?  How  may 
your  arithmetic  tie  up  with  the  financial  conditions  of  the 
district?  Some  teachers  do  not  think  that  they  have  time 
for  such  practical  applications  of  book  subjects  because  they 
have  to  cover  so  much  ground  as  laid  down  in  the  Course  of 
Study.  The  State  Board  of  Education  expects  you  to  dis- 
criminate between  the  essentials  and  non-essentials.  What 
is  essential  in  one  part  of  the  State  may  not  be  in  another. 
Study  the  State  Manual  to  find  out  what  is  to  be  omitted 
in  arithmetic,  for  example.  Do  you  know  that  the  Course 
of  Study  gives  definite  helps  as  to  the  method  of  teaching 


34 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


reading  to  the  beginners  before  using  the  primers?  Have 
you  seen  the  reference  book  list  recommended  for  each  grade 
and  subject?  The  Idaho  Course  of  Study  is  full  of  helps 
which  many  teachers  never  read. 

Have  you  thought  about  these  problems?  If  you  teach  from 
the  text  books  only,  how  are  your  pupils  going  to  be  able 

To  keep  farm  accounts? 

To  make  household  budgets? 

To  plan  well  balanced  menus? 

To  get  the  reading  habit? 

To  know  what  is  going  on  in  the  outside  world  ? 

To  keep  a diary? 

To  draw  and  indorse  a check? 

To  know  the  dangers  of  patent  medicines? 

To  understand  how  to  feed  *a  baby? 

To  know  how  to  write  an  actual  business  letter  ? 

To  learn  the  regulations  of  the  State  Board  of  Health  in 
regard  to  sanitary  premises? 

A PLEA  FOR  MUSIC 

The  keynote  of  all  country  life  movements  is  that  of  co- 
operation, of  neighborliness,  of  brotherhood.  Dr.  Carver, 
in  an  address  on  the  spontaneous  cooperation  of  the  people 
of  Denmark,  which  has  resulted  in  great  prosperity,  says: 
“The  songs  and  hymns  and  the  habit  of  singing  them  to- 
gether on  all  occasions,  has  given  to  their  recreations  and 
festivities  a patriotic  and  religious  character  which  is  to  be 
found  nowhere  else  today  on  so  large  a scale.”  Any  plan  for 
a bigger,  better  and  more  satisfying  country  life  must  in- 
clude music — music  in  the  home,  music  in  the  school,  and 
community  music,  or  the  results  will  be  disappointing.  If 
we  can  get  music  in  the  rural  communities,  we  have  removed 
another  enticement  which  lures  to  the  city.  If  we  can  get 
our  boys  and  girls  to  sing  and  cultivate  in  them  an  apprecia- 
tion for  that  which  is  truly  beautiful,  we  will  have  given  an 
added  charm  to  rural  life. 

The  great  cry  all  over  the  State  is  to  teach  our  boys  and 
girls  how  to  earn  a living,  and  that  is  what  industrial  work 
should  do.  But  if  the  material  only  is  emphasized,  if  we 
teach  children  how  to  work  and  neglect  how  to  live,  we  are 
like  the  farmer  who  is  anxious  to  sell  his  pigs  that  he  may 
buy  more  land  on  which  he  can  raise  more  corn  which  will 
feed  more  pigs  and  so  on  in  an  endless  chain.  We  must 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


35 


educate  for  leisure  as  well  as  for  work,  for  living  as  much 
as  for  getting  a living.  If  both  phases  are  not  kept  in  mind, 
how  can  we  reach  the  end  of  rural  education — Better  Men, 
Better  Farming,  Better  Living? 

The  most  dangerous  moments  are  not  those  of  work  but 
those  of  leisure. 

Music  is  one  of  the  greatest  forces  in  human  life.  The 
Salvation  Army,  the  evangelists  of  every  age,  the  armies  of 
every  country,  and  the  prison  reformers  realize  that  it  is 
the  strongest  factor  in  arousing  the  highest  emotions.  Some 
one  has  said : “Let  me  write  the  songs  of  a nation  and  I 
care  not  who  makes  her  laws,”  There  has  never  been  a 
religious  idea  among  any  people  that  has  not  been  accom- 
panied by  music.  Martin  Luther  said : “The  schoolmaster 
who  cannot  sing  and  teach  others  to  sing  is  of  no  account.” 

If  the  first  requisite  of  a better  country  life  is  a better 
country  school,  the  new  type  of  country  teacher  must  make 
music  an  important  part  of  the  school  work  and  of  the  social 
life  of  a community.  The  United  States  Commissioner  of 
Education,  P.  P.  Claxton,  says  : “If  I were  making  a public 
school  curriculum,  I would  put  in  a little  reading  and  writ- 
ing, and  a little  arithmetic,  a little  history  and  geography, 
and  a great  deal  of  music.  Next  to  reading  and  writing, 
even  ahead  of  writing,  and  next  to  the  power  to  count  the 
simplest  things  in  arithmetic,  music  is  the  most  practical 
thing  in  our  schools.”  Every  school  day  should  begin  with  music, 
children  should  march  in  and  out  at  recess  to  music,  should 
have  patriotic  songs  under  the  school  flag,  and  should  have 
singing  games  and  folk  dances  on  the  playground.  The  old- 
fashioned  singing  school  should  be  revived,  and  one  night  out 
of  the  week  or  Sunday  afternoon  should  be  set  aside  for 
community  music,  when  all  get  together  and  sing  the  old 
hymns,  the  patriotic  and  folk  songs.  It  is  doubtful  if  there 
is  a teacher  in  the  State  who  would  not  get  a hearty  response 
if  she  should  attempt  to  organize  such  a wholesome  social 
life.  A Christmas  Carol  service  should  be  an  established 
custom  in  every  rural  community.  A patriotic  song  festival 
should  at  least  be  an  annual  affair.  Neighboring  communi- 
ties should  occasionally  have  choral  singing  contests.  There 
is  no  form  of  social  life  that  would  go  farther  to  promote 
neighborliness  and  cooperation. 

Teach  children  to  stand  when  the  national  anthem  and 
American  patriotic  songs  are  being  played  or  sung.  Teach 
them  to  sing  all  the  words  correctly  without  their  books. 
Teach  children  to  sing  the  folk  songs — Way  Down  Upon  the 


36 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


Swanee  River,  Old  Black  Joe,  Old  Kentucky  Home  and  many 
others — without  their  books.  Dr.  Talmage  said,  “A  singing 
church  is  a living  growing  church,”  and  a singing  school  is  a 
living  growing  school. 

One  of  the  most  important  movements  to  teach  the  new 
generation  an  appreciation  of  music,  is  to  introduce  the 
phonograph  in  the  school.  Probably  hundreds  of  country 
schools  in  this  State  have  Victrolas  which  are  usually  bought 
from  the  proceeds  of  social  affairs.  They  are  used  to  teach 
tone  quality  (that  singing  does  not  mean  shouting),  to  dis- 
tinguish the  different  musical  instruments,  to  train  the  ear 
to  create  a taste  for  what  is  truly  beautiful,  to  stimulate  an 
interest  in  the  other  school  subjects,  and  to  aid  in  the  play- 
ground work.  After  a year’s  use  of  the  Victrola  in  one  rural 
school,  children  were  humming  and  whistling  on  the  way  to 
and  from  school  snatches  of  “Aida,”  “II  Trovatore”  and 
other  great  operas.  They  talked  spontaneously  at  home  and 
on  the  street  about  the  great  composers  and  their  composi- 
tions, and  the  great  artists  of  today. 

In  the  appendix  of  the  “Social  Activities”  bulletin  may 
be  found  a list  of  folk  dances  and  march  records.  A list  of 
song  books  for  country  schools  is  given  in  “Country  Life 
and  the  Country  School”  (pages  369-371).  A Victrola  that 
will  answer  every  purpose  costs  only  $25.00,  and  even  a 
$15.00  machine  is  very  good.  Miss  Thresa  Wild,  head  of  the 
music  department  of  the  Lewiston  State  Normal  School, 
recommends  the  following  “first  list”  of  Victrola  records 
($11.25)  : 


1.  Singing  games.  (London  Bridge,  Mulberry 

Bush,  etc.)  • • No.  17104  $ .75 

2.  Sousa  Marches  No.  35389  1.25 

3.  Traumerei  (Schumann)  ; Violin  (Elman)  ....  No.  64197  1.00 

4.  Misereri  (Trombone  and  Cornet),  from  II  Tro- 

vatore (Verdi)  ; Spring  Song  (String 

Quartet)  Mendelssohn  No.  16371  .75 

5.  Gaynor  songs  for  little  children  (Baa,  Baa, 

Black  Sheep,  etc.)  No.  16998  .75 

6.  Loch  Lomond  (Soprano)  ; Old  Folks  at  Home 

(Male  Quartet)  No.  16454  .75 

7.  America;  Red,  White  and  Blue No.  17580  .75 

8.  I Hear  You  Calling  Me  (Tenor  Solo),  McCor- 

mick   • No.  64120  1.00 

9.  Lo,  Here  the  Gentle  Lark  (Flute  Obligato), 

Gluck  No.  64267  1.00 

10.  Sextette  from  “Lucia” — Donizetti  No.  70036  1.25 

11.  Soldiers’  Chorus  from  Faust  No.  66624  .75 

12.  National  Airs  of  All  Nations  No.  31855  1.25 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS  37 


ADDITIONAL  LIST  ($5.25) 

1.  Strauss  Waltz  (Band)  No.  31294  1.00 

2.  Carnival  Roimain  (Orchestra)  ; Chopin’s  Mili- 

taire  Polanaise  (Band!  No.  35241  1.25 

3.  Faust — Ballet  Music No.  17284  .75 

4.  Lullaby — Jocelyn  (Orchestra)  • • No.  16696  1.00 

5.  Aida — Grand  March  (Band)  No.  35265  1.25 


Get  from  a dealer  of  Victor  machines:  “The  Victor  on  the  Play- 
ground,” “A  Graded  List  of  Victor  Records  for  Children  in  School 
and  Home”  and  “A  New  Correlation.” 

AGRICULTURE,  THE  BACKBONE  OF  THE  SCHOOL 

All  through  this  bulletin,  the  need  of  redirecting  and 
vocationalizing  old  subject  matter  has  been  emphasized.  In 
fact  the  whole  purpose  of  this  handbook  is  to  show  teachers 
how  they  may  shift  the  emphasis  from  the  dead  traditional 
subjects  to  live  twentieth  century  farm  needs  and  interests  which 
may  or  may  not  bear  the  same  name  as  the  old  subjects. 
A conscientious  teacher  who  knows  child  nature  and  who  is 
well  grounded  in  principles  of  teaching  can  not  do  otherwise 
but  teach  in  terms  of  country  life,  be  it  arithmetic  or  agri- 
culture, reading  or  domestic  science.  The  basic  principles  in 
education  have  taught  us  to  “proceed  from  the  known  to  the 
unknown,”  “to  start  from  the  child's  experience.”  The  coun- 
try child  is  so  steeped  in  the  experiences  of  the  farm  home 
that  the  only  psychological  method  of  approach  in  a country 
school  is  from  the  agricultural  standpoint — the  activities  and 
things  that  make  up  the  child's  world.  (The  only  exception 
in  this  State  would  be  in  a mining  or  timber  section  where  no 
farming  is  carried  on.  In  such  schools  the  curriculum  should 
be  redirected  to  fit  the  experience  of  such  communities.) 
Agriculture  and  home  making  should  be  the  backbone  of  everything 
in  the  school  course,  from  first  grade  reading  to  eighth  grade  civics. 
The  suggestive  programs  in  this  bulletin  give  only  thirty- 
five  minutes  to  agriculture,  but  it  does  not  mean  that  that 
is  the  only  time  in  which  it  is  to  be  taught  or  that  only  the 
three  highest  grades  are  to  take  the  work.  The  whole  school 
course  should  be  enriched  from]  the  first  grade  through  the 
eighth,  from  nine  o’clock  in  the  morning  till  four  in  the 
afternoon  by  giving  all  subjects  an  agricultural  trend.  To 
introduce  a little  formal  agriculture  will  not  regenerate  the 
country  school.  If  that  subject  is  taught  in  a formal,  bookish 
way,  it  will  go  about  as  far  as  Latin  in  settling  the  country 
life  problems.  Text  books  are  not  necessary,  in  fact  they 
may  hinder  the  work,  but  reference  books,  agricultural  bul- 
letins and  journals  are  a very  important  part  of  the  school 
room  equipment.  However,  the  use  of  the  farm  and  the 


38 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


home  as  the  rural  school  laboratory  is  absolutely  essential  if 
the  industrial  subjects  are  to  be  the  means  of  tying  the  home 
and  school. 

Mr.  Werner  of  the  Albion  State  Normal  says : “In  any 
community  having  a special  line  of  work  it  is  the  duty  of  the 
school  to  study  this  particular  industry.  We  are  just  be- 
ginning to  discover  that  it  is  the  rural  home  together  with 
the  environment  of  the  school  that  form  the  real  laboratory 
of  the  rural  school.  Every  community  is  full  of  type  studies 
in  agriculture,  home  economics  and  manual  training  if  once 
the  rural  school  learns  to  utilize  this  material.  For  ex- 
ample : Mr.  A may  have  a number  of  well-bred  dairy  cows, 
driving  or  draft  horses ; Mr.  B may  have  a field  of  alfalfa  or 
wheat ; Mr.  C may  have  a vegetable  garden  or  orchard.  Some 
one  in  the  neighborhood  may  have  a cream  separator,  Bab- 
cock milk  tester,  canning  outfit,  a beautiful  lawn  and  shade 
trees.  Likewise  the  vegetable  gardens  at  the  homes  should 
be  made  the  experimental  plots  for  the  school  after  the  best 
seeds  have  been  selected,  best  methods  of  preparing,  fertil- 
izing and  planting  the  soil,  best  known  methods  of  cultivat- 
ing and  maturing  crops  have  been  taught  in  the  school.  The 
actual  experimental  work  should  be  carried  on  in  the  home 
gardens  by  the  girls  and  boys.  Study  the  dairy  cow,  the 
feeding  of  cattle,  hogs  and  horses,  types  and  breeds  of  farm 
horses,  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep.” 

It  is  almost  impossible  to  outline  a course  to  fit  all  the 
conditions  in  Idaho.  The  boys’  and  girls’  agricultural  club 
bulletins  furnish  helpful  material.  Send  to  the  Department 
of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.,  for  a list  of  farmers’ 
bulletins  and  to  the  University  of  Idaho,  Moscow,  for  a list 
of  their  publications.  From  those  lists  choose  those  that 
you  will  need  for  reference  and  classify  them  as  you  would 
other  library  material. 

One  of  the  best  and  most  concrete  outlines  is  found  in 
Bulletin  No.  281,  “Correlating  Agriculture  with  the  Public 
School  Subjects  of  the  Northern  States,”  Department  of 
Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.  (free).  Every  teacher 
should  have  this  bulletin.  Notice  the  farm  arithmetic  prob- 
lems (pages  31-35)  and  the  score  cards  for  judging  potatoes, 
cattle,  bread,  etc.  (pages  35-41).  If  the  outline  given  in  this 
bulletin  is  followed,  there  is  not  much  danger  of  the  agri- 
culture becoming  “bookish.” 

HOME  MAKING 

In  the  same  way  that  agriculture  should  be  the  back- 
bone of  all  school  work  so  home  making  and  all  that  it  im- 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


39 


plios  should  be  the  source  of  the  three  R’s.  Every  child, 
boy  or  girl,  thinks  in  terms  of  his  own  experience.  That 
experience  to  the  country  child  is  based  on  the  farm  activi- 
ties— the  farm  home  as  much  as  the  wheat  field,  the  orchard 
or  the  cattle  range.  To  work  “from  the  known  to  the  un- 
known” is  to  teach  fractions  in  terms  of  mother’s  kitchen,  to 
study  sanitation  in  connection  with  the  care  of  food,  or  to 
arouse  an  interest  in  correct  letter  forms  by  writing  a real 
letter  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  bulletins  on  home 
making. 

Practically  every  girl  and  many  boys  in  the  rural  school 
go  home  every  night  to  take  part  in  the  actual  work  of  house- 
keeping— preparation  of  the  evening  meal,  setting  the  table, 
washing  the  dishes,  putting  the  baby  to  bed,  straining  the 
milk,  darning  stockings,  etc.  These  are  the  actual  daily  ex- 
periences of  rural  children,  and  the.  farm  home  may  be  made 
the  real  laboratory  for  things  taught  in  school.  The  func- 
tion of  the  school  is  to  constantly  better  these  very  homes 
and  to  develop  in  our  girls  and  boys  higher  standards  of 
home  life. 

What  is  the  use  of  your  physiology  if  you  have  not  gotten 
children  to  sleep  with  open  windows,  to  brush  their  teeth 
or  to  take  proper  care  of  dish  towels?  Why  teach  fractions 
if  the  children  cannot  apply  that  subject  in  the  use  of  a 
measuring  cup  or  in  estimating  the  amount  of  cloth  for  the 
baby’s  dress?  Why  not  omit  picture  study  from  your  lan- 
guage work  if  copies  of  the  masterpieces  of  art  are  not 
taking  the  place  of  gaudy  calendars  and  enlarged  photo- 
graphs so  often  found  in  the  living-rooms  of  country  homes? 
Do  you  realize  that  the  majority  of  children  will  not  have 
any  higher  standards  of  living  than  those  which  they  now 
possess,  unless  they  are  taught  them  at  school  ? The  common- 
place must  be  spiritualized  by  a new  interpretation  of  the  three  R’s 
with  emphasis  on  home-making  and  agriculture. 

Who  is  to  teach  future  farm  wives  to  plan  a convenient 
kitchen ? Isn't  that  a legitimate  part  of  your  arithmetic 
work? 

Where  will  the  children  learn  to  estimate  the  amount  of 
gingham  required  for  a dress?  Percale?  Serge?  Doesn't 
that  also  belong  under  arithmetic? 

Where  ivill  the  next  generation  of  mothers  learn  balanced 
menus  ? 

What  am  you  doing  to  raise  the  standards  of  the  farm 
home?  Is  the  home  realizing  immediately  upon  the  invest- 
ment it  is  making  in  educating  the  girls?  Do  your  pupils 


40 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


go  home  at  night  and  put  into  actual  practice  the  things 
learned  in  reading,  arithmetic,  hygiene  and  practically  all 
of  the  other  school  subjects ? 

Some  schools  are  not  ready  to  do  more  in  cooking  than 
what  can  be  done  during  the  warm  lunch  period.  However, 
many  small  one-room  schools  and  the  upper  grades  of  two- 
room  schools  are  having  one  or  more  cooking  periods  a week. 
In  one  rural  school,  the  girls  of  the  four  upper  grades  made 
over  a hundred  glasses  of  jellies,  jams  and  marmalades  in 
one  fall.  They  made  puddings,  pies,  cakes,  had  a bread  ex- 
hibit and  a doughnut  sale.  The  materials  were  gladly  do- 
nated by  the  parents.  All  of  this  was  done  in  one  corner  of 
the  school  corridor  which  was  fitted  up  as  a kitchen  with  a 
two-burner  blue  flame  oil  stove,  a cupboard  of  inexpensive 
dishes  and  a home-made  table.  Where  cooking  lessons  are 
possible,  there  should  be  close  correlation  between  the  school 
and  the  bread  and  canning  clubs.  In  the  fruit  districts  of 
the  State,  where  so  much  fruit  goes  to  waste,  every  school 
should  have  a canning  outfit.  See  club  bulletins  on  Mother- 
Daughter  Canning  Clubs  (0.  D.  Center,  Extension  Depart- 
ment, Boise,  Idaho). 


WARM  LUNCHES 

Every  rural  school,  whether  supplied  with  a domestic 
science  equipment  or  not,  can  and  should  have  a warm  lunch 
at  noon  if  the  children  do  not  go  home  for  their  dinners. 
By  careful  planning,  it  should  not  be  necessary  for  the  teach- 
er to  do  more  than  direct  or  for  the  pupils  to  take  any  time 
from  school  hours  or  much  time  from  play.  If  the  ordinary 
flat-top  stove  is  used,  soups,  cocoa,  creamed  potatoes  or  other 
vegetables,  cooked  fruits,  etc.,  are  usually  started  at  recess. 
Resourceful  teachers  have  made  use  of  the  ash  pan  of  the 
heater  for  baking  vegetables  and  fruits,  of  the  water  pan 
attached  to  the  top  of  the  jacket  of  the  heater  for  a double 
boiler  and  of  the  ledge  inside  the  door  of  the  heater  (some 
makes)  for  cooking  food  that  can  be  baked  in  a bean  pot. 
One  ingenious  teacher  made  an  oven  for  her  little  flat-top 
stove  from  a coal  oil  can,  through  which  the  stove  pipe  ran. 
Several  have  made  fireless  cookers  fashioned  from  dry  goods 
boxes  or  wooden  candy  pails,  packed  with  sawdust,  excelsior, 
hay,  moss,  etc.  .It  has  always  been  found,  “Where  there’s 
a will,  there’s  a way.”  Suggestions  for  equipment,  what  to 
cook,  how  to  manage  the  work,  etc.,  are  given  in  a bulletin 
“Warm  Lunches  for  Rural  Schools,”  published  by  the  Uni- 
versity of  Idaho,  Moscow,  Idaho. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


41 


Few  teachers  who  serve  warm  lunches  have  more  than 
one  purpose  in  mind — to  make  the  lunch  more  appetizing 
and  to  give  the  children  something  warm.  Why  not  make 
better  use  of  the  time  by  tactfully  teaching 

Table  etiquette. 

How  to  make  sandwiches. 

How  to  pack  the  school  lunch  pail. 

Well  balanced  lunches. 

How  to  set  a table. 

Best  method  of  serving. 

Personal  cleanliness  at  meals. 

Correct  way  to  wash  dishes. 


MANUAL  TRAINING 


Only  a few  rural  schools  are  supplied  with  manual  train- 
ing equipment,  yet  in  spite  of  that  a good  many  are  having 
some  form  of  wood  work  with  the  few  tools  that  can  be 
brought  from  home.  The  problems  of  repairing  around 
many  dilapidated  school  houses  or  poorly  equipped  new  ones 
furnish  plenty  of  projects  which  are  an  entering  wedge  in 
teaching  wood  work.  Many  resourceful  Idaho  teachers  have 
gotten  the  boys  to  repair  broken  fences,  worn-out  walks, 
leaking  out-buildings;  hang  gates,  lay  new  floor  to  the 
school  house ; make  new  porches,  wood  boxes  and  bookcases, 
all  of  which  have  been  neglected  by  indifferent  school  author- 
ities. There  is  hardly  a school  in  the  country  that  will  not 
furnish  many  problems  in  repairing  and  equipping  that  are 
closely  tied  with  similar  home  needs.  One  school  needs  a 
playground  apparatus,  another  a sand  table,  another  a flag 
pole,  another  window  boxes,  another  lattice  work,  screen 
around  the  out-buildings  and  so  on.  Usually  school  boards 
are  willing  to  furnish  lumber  and  tools  for  such  practical 
work. 

A few  projects  which  all  country  boys  should  be  interest- 
ed in  and  which  are  closely  correlated  with  boys’  and  girls’ 
club  work  and  agriculture,  and  at  the  same  time  make  ex- 
cellent projects  for  school  work,  are: 

Cold  frame.  Egg  tester. 

Window  box.  “Broody”  coop. 

Bird  house.  Egg  crates. 


Germinating  box. 

Trap  nests  (poultry). 
Feed  box. 

Fireless  cooker. 
Corn-drying  rack. 


Vine  trellis. 
Gate  and  arbor. 
Whippletree. 
Fly  trap. 


42 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


Send  to  the  Department  of  Agriculture,  Washington, 
D.  C.,  for  their  bulletins  (free)  on  farm  handicraft  work  and 
poultry  house  construction.  Kern’s  “Among  Country 
Schools”  (last  chapter)  contains  a working  drawing  of  a 
work  bench,  which  could  be  made  in  school.  “Farm  and 
House  Mechanics”  (Bureau  of  Indian  Affairs,  Washington, 
D.  C.,  15  cts.)  should  be  in  every  library. 

The  following  list  of  tools  are  recommended.  This  set 
costs  $12.80  in  Lewiston,  Idaho.  This  would  probably  be 
the  average  price  throughout  the  State.  The  best  steel  is 
the  cheapest  in  the  end  for  all  sharp  blade  tools,  but  cheaper 
grades  of  hammers,  try  squares,  braces,  etc.,  will  answer 
every  purpose. 


Jack  plane  (Stanley),  15-inch. 
Back  saw,  14-inch. 

Rip  saw,  8-point. 

Cross-cut  saw,  9-  or  10-point. 
Hammer,  7-ounce. 

Hammer,  13-ounce. 

Chisels,  1A-  and  %-inch. 

Try  square,  7-inch. 

Nail  set. 

Counter  sink. 

Brace. 


Combination  oil  stone  (coarse 
and  medium). 

Oiler. 

Marking  gauge  screw  point. 
Augur  bits,  set  of  6. 

Screw  driver. 

Screw  driver  bit. 

Drills,  3/32,  4/32,  5/32,  6/32-in. 
Coping  saw  and  dozen  blades 
(25  cents). 


HANDWORK 

By  handwork,  we  usually  mean  paper  cutting  and  tear- 
ing, sand  table  work,  cardboard  construction,  weaving,  clay 
modeling,  basketry,  etc.  Because  of  the  inexpensive  ma- 
terials required,  the  fascination  of  the  work  and  the  quick 
results  obtained,  handwork  has  gained  more  headway  in 
our  schools  than  any  other  form  of  industrial  work.  How- 
ever, it  is  less  practical,  with  the  exception  of  the  first  three 
or  four  grades,  than  cooking,  manual  training  and  sewing. 
In  all  grades,  especially  the  lower,  handwork  should  be 
closely  correlated  with  other  school  subjects.  Make  posters, 
not  so  much  for  the  sake  of  the  poster,  as  to  illustrate  a 
reading  lesson,  a poem  studied  or  a home  activity.  The  sand 
table  work  in  the  same  way  should  be  an  outgrowth  of  other 
school  subjects  and  should  be  used  as  a seat  work  to  rein- 
force the  class  recitations. 

There  is  no  excuse  for  introducing  handwork  if  the 
teacher  does  not  have  the  following  aims : 

To  supplement  the  class  work. 

To  give  profitable  employment  for  what  would  otherwise 
be  waste  of  time. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


43 


To  be  an  incentive  for  better  preparation  in  regular 
school  subjects. 

To  teach  appropriateness  of  design. 

To  establish  high  standards  of  home  decoration. 

To  train  children  in  hand  skill. 

To  make  useful  and  beautiful  objects  of  native  materials. 

It  has  been  interesting  to  see  how  many  kinds  of  native 
material  in  this  State  resourceful  teachers  have  used  for 
weaving  and  sewing  baskets,  braiding  for  dolls’  hats  and 
furniture,  or  making  table  and  door  mats.  The  following 
have  been  found  to  be  as  satisfactory  as  expensive  craft 
material : 


Pine  needles. 
Corn  husks. 
Bulrushes 
Willow  branches. 
Marsh  grass. 
Birch  bark. 


Wheat  straw. 
Timothy  hay. 
Cat-tail  leaves. 
Grape  vines. 
Strawberry  runners, 
Roots  of  trees. 


It  remains  for  some  teacher  with  an  interest  in  such 
work  and  a big  vision  to  develop  these  rural  crafts  so  that 
they  will  be  a source  of  income  to  the  young  people  and  farm 
wives.  There  is  no  reason  that  these  should  not  be  as  highly 
developed  an  art  as  wood  carving  has  become  among  the 
people  of  Bavaria ; bone  and  ivory  carving  among  the  moun- 
tain peasants  of  Switzerland,  or  lace  making  among  the 
women  and  girls  of  Italy  and  Ireland.  An  outline  of  hand- 
work by  seasons  may  be  found  in  the  bulletin,  “Seat  Work 
for  Rural  Schools”  (pages  10  to  15).  The  following  books 
are  recommended : 

Primary  Handwork — Dopps — Macmillan  Co.,  about  75  cents.  (Ex- 
cellent for  practical  correlation.) 

School  Drawing,  a Real  Correlation — -Daniels — Milton,  Bradley  & 
Co.,  $1.20.  (Excellent  for  sand  table  and  poster  work  for  all  grades.) 

Primary  Manual  Work— -Ledyard  and  Breckenfield — Milton,  Brad- 
ley & Co.,  $1.25.  (Very  good  for  an  amateur,  as  directions  are  definite. 
For  first  and  second  grades  only.) 

Manual  Arts  Drawing  Books  (for  each  grade) — School  Arts  Pub- 
lishing Co.,  Boston,  25  cents  each.  (Excellent  for  applied  design  and 
simple  cardboard  and  paper  construction.) 

Industrial  Work  for  Public  Schools — Holton  & Rollins — Rand,  Mc- 
Nally & Co.,  90  cents.  (Good  for  basketry  work;  may  be  adapted  to 
native  materials.) 

Booklet  Making — Bailey — Schoo'  \rts  Publishing  Co.,  75  cents. 

Pine  Needle  Basket  Book — McAiee — School  Arts  Publishing  Co., 
75  cents. 


44 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


SEWING 

The  Idaho  Sewing  Club  bulletins  are  very  definite  and 
contain  as  good  an  outline  as  will  be  found  anywhere.  Cor- 
relate very  closely  the  sewing  and  arithmetic.  Teach  girls, 
not  only  how  to  sew,  but  how  to  judge  and  buy  textiles,  and 
to  alter  commercial  patterns. 

Test  cotton  goods  for  “fast”  colors  and  “shrinkage.” 

Teach  usual  widths  of  textiles — percales , ginghams,  dim- 
ity, serge,  silk,  etc. 

Estimate  amount  of  material  of  different  widths  for  cer- 
tain patterns. 

Estimate  allowance  to  be  made  for  shrinkage. 

The  above  are  a few  suggestions  to  make  the  work  prac- 
tical, to  teach  thrift  and  to  tie  the  home  and  the  school  closer 
together. 

Children  often  prefer  to  make  fancy  stitches  and  em- 
broidery but  plain  sewing  should  always  precede  the  fancy.  Let 
the  needs  of  the  home  and  the  outlines  given  in  the  Club  bul- 
letins be  your  guide. 

THE  SCHOOL  A SOCIAL  CENTER 

So  much  is  being  written  and  such  progress  has  been 
made  in  many  parts  of  the  State  in  regard  to  the  promotion 
of  social  life  that  very  little  needs  to  be  said  about  the  needs 
and  purpose  of  such  movements.  Any  kind  of  social  activity 
that  will  promote  neighborliness,  bring  all  people  of  the  com- 
munity together  and  make  country  life  more  satisfying,  is 
very  much  worth  while.  The  teacher's  interest  in  any  amuse- 
ment should  not  be  the  guide  to  go  by  for  that  same  interest 
may  defeat  the  end  she  is  trying  to  seek — uniting  all  the 
people.  Study  the  questions  given  under  the  topic,  “Getting 
Acquainted  with  the  Community."  Accurate  information  in 
regard  to  the  social  activities  which  the  school,  the  church 
and  the  farmers'  organizations  have  fostered,  will  help  you 
to  decide  your  line  of  work  to  build  up  higher  levels  of  social  life 
in  the  neighborhood.  Every  district  should  have  a permanent 
organization  such  as  Community  Club,  Parent-Teachers'  As- 
sociation, Mothers'  Circle,  Orchestra,  Singing  School,  Coun- 
try Life  Club,  Literary  Society  or  Recreation  Association. 
The  teacher  should  be  the  social  engineer  to  “start  things," 
find  leaders,  encourage  and  advise,  but  if  she  takes  too  much 
of  the  responsibility  after  the  organization  is  well  under  way, 
it  is  likely  to  die  down  at  the  close  of  school.  “A  democracy 
is  a success  when  the  citizens  are  self  governing,  hence  our 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


45 


efforts  are  to  develop  that  trait  of  character”  by  discovering 
leaders  and  using  every  person’s  capabilities  for  the  good  of 
the  community. 

Dramatic  talent,  musical  talent,  speaking  talent  are  all 
going  to  waste.  Suggestions  as  to  leadership,  kind  of  activi- 
ties, original  programs,  sources  of  information,  etc.,  may  be 
found  in  the  bulletin,  “Social  Activities  in  Rural  Schools,” 
Lewiston  Normal  School.  A plan  of  organizing  all  the  forces 
of  a community,  as  carried  out  in  many  rural  communities 
in  the  older  states,  is  given  in  “Community  Organization,” 
a bulletin  published  by  Albion  State  Normal  School. 

Teachers  from  all  over  the  State  are  making  inquiries  in 
regard  to  topics  of  general  information  that  would  be  suit- 
able for  “Literaries”  and  Parent-Teachers’  Associations.  A 
few  are  given  here: 

Sources  of  disease  in  our  community. 

Why  we  have  colds. 

Losses  to  the  community  because  of  the  roads  being  as  they  are. 

The  best  means  of  improving  our  local  roads. 

Library  needs  of  the  community. 

What  a Boy  Scout  organization  would  do  for  our  boys. 

What  a Campfire  girls’  organization  would  do  for  our  girls. 

How  this  neighborhood  can  raise  ten  bushels  per  acre  more  of 
wheat. 

Pure-bred  versus  scrub  dairy  cows. 

Value  of  neighborhood  entertainments. 

Should  agriculture,  manual  training,  cooking  and  sewing  be  taught 
in  our  schools? 

The  County  Unit  of  school  organization. 

Consolidation  and  its  possibilities  in  our  community. 

Is  the  school  rendering  the  greatest  service  possible  to  the  com- 
munity? 

The  effect  of  tenant  farmers  on  neighborhood  improvements. 

How  to  revitalize  the  rural  church. 

Are  there  too  many  churches? 

The  federated  church. 

How  to  keep  the  boys  and  girls  on  the  farm. 

Country  play  picnic  and  field  meet. 

More  music  in  rural  communities. 

Our  children  and  the  boys’  and  girls’  clubs. 

What  the  boys’  and  girls’  clubs  have  done  to  improve  rural  con- 
ditions in  the  United  States. 

School  playgrounds. 

Work  of  the  last  legislature  to  improve  the  schools  of  Idaho. 

The  early  history  of  Idaho. 

Idaho’s  state  educational  institutions. 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


The  State  Department  of  Education  offers  the  following 
suggestions  for  the  organization  of  a Parent-Teachers’  As- 
sociation : 

First,  meet  as  many  of  the  parents  as  possible  and  in- 
terest them  in  the  organization;  then  call  them  together 
and  proceed  to  effect  an  organization  by  the  election  of  of- 
ficers— a president,  vice-president,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
Committee  on  by-laws  and  organization  should  be  appointed. 

The  following  standing  committees  are  recommended : 

The  Press  Committee,  whose  duty  it  is  to  insert  notices 
in  the  local  papers  and  sometimes  print  papers  of  especial 
interest  given  before  the  association. 

The  Social  Committee,  whose  duty  it  is  to  have  charge 
of  the  social  meetings  and  the  refreshments.  (This  com- 
mittee should  be  a very  large  one.) 

The  Legislative  Committee,  whose  members  keep  in  touch 
with  existing  school  laws  and  all  changes  which  occur  in 
legislative  years.  This  committee  should  be  called  upon  to 
explain  laws  as  well  as  proposed  changes  in,  them.  At  times 
it  may  furnish  a program  for  an  evening  meeting. 

The  Educational  Committee,  whose  members  keep  in 
close  touch  with  questions  educational,  recommend  good 
articles  on  educational  subjects  to  the  association  and  also 
good  books  for  school  children,  and  for  mothers  who  try  to 
keep  themselves  posted  on  child  life  and  educational  mat- 
ters. This  committee  should  keep  the  association  in  touch 
with  the  State  Educational  Department — the  State  institu- 
tions, and  the  public  school  system.  This  committee  should 
also  visit  the  school  and  encourage  others  to  do  so.  In  this 
visiting  they  should  not  only  become  acquainted  with  the 
teacher  and  her  methods  and  plans  for  the  school,  and  the 
work  done  by  the  pupils,  but  they  should  also  notice  the  con- 
dition of  the  buildings,  the  ventilation,  lighting,  state  of  re- 
pair, etc. 

The  School  Improvement  Committee.  This  committee 
should  work  for  the  school  library,  school  piano,  playground 
equipment,  manual  training  department  and  equipment,  do- 
mestic science  equipment  and  other  things  which  will  help 
the  school  and  broaden  its  sphere  of  usefulness. 

These  committees  must  be  carefully  selected.  You  should 
try  to  direct  the  appointments  as  far  as  possible  with  the  aid 
of  some  broad-minded  citizens  of  the  district. 

This  will  give  you  some  idea  of  what  may  be  done  by 
such  an  organization.  We  know  of  nothing  better  for  a 
community  than  a good  Parent-Teachers’  Association. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


47 


Mr.  John  C.  Werner,  head  of  the  Department  of  Rural 
Education  of  the  Albion  State  Normal  School,  offers  the 
following  suggestions  for  the  organization  of  the  rural  com- 
munity : 

HOW  TO  ORGANIZE  AND  BUILD  UP  COUNTRY  LIFE 

Dr.  P.  P.  Claxton,  United  States  Commissioner  of  Edu- 
cation, in  his  1914  report,  gives  the  summary  of  the  work  of 
the  conference  for  education  in  the  South  at  its  meeting  in 
April,  1914.  The  aim  of  this  conference  was  to  show  “How 
to  Organize  and  Build  Up  Country  Life.”  At  the  conference 
there  were  demonstrations  of  cooperative  growing  and  mar- 
keting associations ; women’s  clubs  for  household  equipment 
and  home  making;  boys’  and  girls’  clubs,  etc.  Following 
is  a brief  summary  of  the  conclusions  from  their  delibera- 
tions : 

1.  The  greatest  social  need  of  the  century  is  the  organ- 
ization and  consequent  upbuilding  of  the  rural  life  of 
America. 

2.  This  must  be  the  outgrowth  of  the  self-activity  of 
rural  life  forces.  Outside  forces  can  only  assist  in  this 
work. 

3.  There  is  need  of  raising  the  general  level  of  living 
in  the  country  in  order  to  keep  the  brightest  and  best  people 
from  leaving  the  country  in  too  great  numbers. 

4.  To  educate  the  young  in  the  schools,  to  elevate  their 
ideals,  to  arouse  their  ambitions,  without  raising  the  level 
of  living  and  offering  them  a broader  field  for  the  exercise 
of  their  talents,  may  do  as  much  harm  as  good. 

5.  The  school  is  only  one  of  these  agencies  for  com- 
munity upbuilding.  There  must  be  a cooperation  among 
rural  life  forces,  all  working  together  for  a common  end. 

6.  The  farmer,  the  country  women,  the  country  teacher, 
the  country  editor,  the  country  doctor,  the  country  business 
man  and  the  country  preacher  shall  and  must  all  join  hands 
for  a hard  pull,  a long  pull  and  a pull  all  together  for  better 
living  along  every  line  in  the  country. 

7.  The  community  is  the  proper  unit  for  rural  develop- 
ment. The  community  must  learn  how  to  educate,  to  or- 
ganize and  to  develop  itself. 

RURAL  COMMUNITY  ORGANIZATION  ' 

Prof.  T.  N.  Carver,  Adviser  in  Agricultural  Economics, 
U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture,  has  given  a very  complete 
plan  for  the  organization  of  a rural  community  in  the  Year 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


Book  of  the  Department  of  Agriculture  for  1914.  The  plan 
is  similar  to  that  of  the  chamber  of  commerce  in  some  of  our 
cities.  There  is  to  be  a central  or  executive  committee  com- 
posed of  the  president  of  the  organization,  its  secretary,  its 
treasurer  and  the  chairmen  of  the  various  committees.  This 
central  committee  should  direct  the  general  policy  of  the 
organization. 

After  much  study  on  the  problems  of  rural  life,  the  De- 
partment of  Agriculture  suggests  the  following  outline  set- 
ting forth  the  needs  of  the  rural  community  which  make 
organization  advisable  and  showing  how  the  problems  may 
be  taken  up  in  a systematic  way  and  solved  by  the  com- 
munity itself. 

There  are  two  kinds  of  needs,  namely,  Business  Needs 
and  Social  Needs.  Under  Business  Needs  are  noted : 

1.  Better  farm  production. 

2.  Better  marketing  facilities. 

3.  Better  means  of  securing  farm  supplies. 

4.  Better  credit  facilities. 

5.  Better  means  of  communication — (a)  roads;  (b) 
telephones. 

Under  Social  Needs: 

1.  Better  educational  facilities. 

2.  Better  sanitation. 

3.  Better  opportunities  for  recreation. 

4.  Beautification  of  the  country  side. 

5.  Better  home  economics. 

There  is  not  a farming  community  in  the  United  States 
which  does  not  need  some,  at  least,  of  the  things  named  in 
the  above  outline.  These  cannot  be  had  except  by  united 
effort  on  the  part  of  the  people  themselves  of  these  com- 
munities. 

In  conducting  those  activities  which  make  for  com- 
munity welfare  it  is  essential  that  there  be  some  organiza- 
tion that  will  unify  and  direct  all  of  the  individuals  and 
forces  for  betterment.  It  often  happens  that  there  is  an 
organization  in  the  community  with  which  all  may  cooperate 
and  in  this  way  carry  out  the  lines  of  work  suggested  above 
without  the  formation  of  an  additional  organization.  It  is 
unity,  cooperation  and  concerted  action  that  are  needed  to 
insure  results. 

Herewith  is  a suggestive  Constitution  and  By-Laws  for 
a community  organization : 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


49 


CONSTITUTION 

ARTICLE  I — NAME 

The  name  of  this  club  shall  be  The Idaho 

Community  Club. 

ARTICLE  II — OBJECT 

The  object  of  this  club  shall  be:  Conducting  public  meetings  for 
the  presentation  and  open  discussion  of  live  subjects;  the  physical  im- 
provement of  the  community  environment;  and  the  social,  moral  and 
educational  development  of  the  people. 


ARTICLE  III — MEMBERSHIP 

Section  I.  Associate  Members.  Every  person  living  in  the 

vicinity  of is  considered  an  associate  member  of 

this  club. 

Section  II.  Any  person  sixteen  years  of  age  and  over  living  in 
the  vicinity  of is  eligible  to  become  an  active 


member  of  the  club  upon  giving  his  or  her  name  to  any  member  of 
the  executive  committee. 

ARTICLE  IV — OFFICERS  AND  ELECTIONS 

Section  I.  There  shall  be  the  following  officers:  President;  First, 
Second  and  Third  Vice  Presidents;  Secretary,  and  Treasurer. 

Section  II.  The  officers  shall  be  elected  at  the  annual  meeting  of 

the  club  which  shall  be  held  on , to  serve  for  a 

term  of  one  year  each.  Only  active  members  shall  be  allowed  to  vote 
for  officers,  and  only  active  members  are  eligible  to  office. 

ARTICLE  V — DUTIES  OF  OFFICERS 

Section  I.  President.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  President  to 
preside  at  all  meetings  of  the  club,  and  also  to  serve  as  chairman  of 
the  executive  committee  of  the  club. 

Section  II.  First  Vice  President.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
First  Vice  President  to  preside  at  the  meetings  of  the  club  in  the 
absence  of  or  at  the  request  of  the  President.  He  shall  also  be  chair- 
man of  the  Program  Committee. 

Section  III.  Second  Vice  President.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Second  Vice  President  to  serve  as  chairman  of  the  Improvement  Com- 
mittee of  the  club. 

Section  IV.  Third  Vice  President.  -It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the 
Third  Vice  President  to  serve  as  chairman  of  the  Social  Service  Com- 
mittee of  the  club. 

Section  V.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Secretary  to  keep  the 
minutes  of  the  proceedings  of  the  club;  to  keep  a list  of  active  mem- 
bers ; to  receive  names  of  new  members ; to  carry  on  the  correspondence 
of  the  club,  and  to  fulfill  such  other  duties  as  usually  pertain  to  this 
office. 

Section  VI.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Treasurer  to  collect  and 
disburse  the  money  of  the  club ; to  keep  a record  of  all  money  received, 
spent  and  on  hand,  and  to  report  upon  the  state  of  the  treasury  at 
the  annual  meeting  or  whenever  called  upon  to  do  so. 

ARTICLE  VI — COMMITTEES 

Section  I.  Executive  Committee.  The  Executive  Committee  shall 
consist  of  the  elected  officers  of  the  club.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this 
committee  to  confer  upon  questions  regarding  the  welfare  of  the  club; 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


to  consider  and  recommend  matters  of  importance  to  the  club,  and  in 
unusual  matters  requiring  haste  to  act  for  the  club. 

Section  II.  Program  Committee.  The  Program  Committee  shall 
consist  of  the  First  Vice  President  of  the  club  and  two  other  members 
chosen  by  him.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  committee  to  arrange 
programs  for  all  the  meetings  of  the  club;  to  secure  speakers;  and 
to  suggest  topics  for  discussion,  which  shall  insure  profitable  and 
interesting  meetings;  to  promote  the  publicity  of  the  club  through  the 
local  papers;  to  announce  programs  of  the  meeting  of  the  club,  and 
otherwise  to  carry  on  the  work  of  publicity  for  the  club. 

Section  III.  Improvement  Committee.  The  Improvement  Com- 
mittee shall  consist  of  the  Second  Vice  President  and  two  (or  four) 
other  members  appointed  by  him.  It  shall  be  the  duty  of  this  com- 
mittee to  investigate  and  bring  to  the  attention  of  the  club  all  matters 
pertaining  to  local  community  improvement,  and  to  act  by  direction 
of  the  club,  in  consummating  such  improvement.  (This  committee 
shall  look  after  business  needs.) 

Section  IV.  Social  Service  Committee.  The  Social  Service  Com- 
mittee shall  consist  of  the  Third  Vice  President  and  two  (or  four) 
other  members  appointed  by  him.  They  shall  have  supervision  of  all 
social,  moral  and  educational  activities  of  the  club  for  the  community. 
(This  committee  shall  look  after  the  social  needs.) 

ARTICLE  VIII — MEETINGS 

The  club  shall  hold  regular  meetings  each even- 
ing, in  the between  the  hours  of  7:30  and  10 

o’clock. 

ARTICLE  IX — DUES 

The  dues  of  the  club  shall  be per  year  for  each  active 

member,  to  aid  in  meeting  the  local  expenses  of  the  organization. 

ARTICLE  X — QUORUM 

Eight  active  members  of  the  club  shall  constitute  a quorum  for 
the  transaction  of  all  business. 

ARTICLE  XI — AMENDMENTS 

The  Constitution  may  be  amended  by  two-thirds  vote  of  the  active 
members  present  at  any  regular  meeting. 

ORDER  OF  BUSINESS  AND  BY-LAWS 

The  order  of  business  in  all  regular  meetings  of  the  club  shall  be 
as  follows: 

1.  Social  half  hour. 

2.  Call  to  order. 

3.  Song. 

4.  Reading  minutes  of  previous  meeting. 

5.  Report  of  special  committees. 

6.  Report  of  standing  committees. 

7.  Treasurer’s  report. 

8.  Unfinished  business. 

9.  New  business. 

10.  Special  program. 

11.  Discussion. 

12.  Adjournment. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


51 


1.  The  meeting  shall  be  called  to  order  so  that  the  business 
routine  may  be  disposed  of  and  the  special  program  of  the  evening 
begun  by  8:15  o’clock.  This  part  of  the  program,  including  the  general 
discussions,  shall  not  usually  exceed  one  and  one-fourth  hours. 

2.  The  chairman  of  the  meeting  may  leave  the  chair  in  order  to 
engage  in  discussion. 

3.  In  speaking  from  the  floor  in  the  open  discussion  which  fol- 
lows the  main  address  or  in  any  other  event,  the  parliamentary  rules 
of  addressing  the  chair,  etc.,  shall  be  strictly  followed. 

4.  Speeches  from  the  floor  are  limited  to  five  minutes  and  the 
time  may  be  extended  only  by  unanimous  consent. 

5.  No  speaker  may  have  the  floor  a second  time,  unless  all  others 
who  wish  to  speak  have  had  an  opportunity  to  do  so. 

6.  Speeches  from  the  floor  must  deal  with  the  subject  chosen  for 
discussion. 

LIST  OF  TOPICS  FOR  COMMUNITY  MEETINGS 

A suggested  list  of  topics  for  consideration  and  discus- 
sion. Many  others  will  occur  to  the  program  committee  who 
know  the  local  situation.  All  matters  for  reports  and  dis- 
cussions should  be  of  a constructive  nature  and  of  special 
value  to  the  entire  neighborhood.  The  watch-word  in  every 
undertaking  and  in  each  program  should  be  co-operation. 

The  following  list  of  subjects  or  any  of  the  subjects  listed 
under  the  chapter  in  “The  School,  a Social  Center,”  may  be 
used  for  community  meetings : 

1.  The  kinds  of  waste  on  the  farm. 

2.  The  kinds  of  waste  in  the  home. 

3.  Value  of  neighborhood  entertainments. 

4.  How  to  exterminate  the  typhoid  or  common  house  fly. 

5.  Relation  of  the  house  fly  to  contagious  and  infectious  diseases. 

6.  The  value  of  playgrounds  for  country  children. 

7.  Women’s  clubs  in  the  country. 

8.  How  to  make  poultry  pay  on  the  farm. 

9.  Pure-bred  versus  scrub  dairy  cows. 

10.  Should  Agriculture,  Manual  Training  and  Home  Economics  be 

taught  in  our  school? 

11.  The  Farmers’  Institute. 

12.  Boys’  and  girls’  clubs. 

13.  How  best  to  use  the  Extension  Department  of  the  University. 

14.  The  value  of  demonstration  work  in  Agriculture  and  Home  Eco- 

nomics. 

15.  The  relation  of  water  supply  to  contagious  diseases. 

16.  How  to  use  the  “Idaho  Free  Traveling  Library.” 

17.  Things  that  every  taxpayer  should  know  about  local  government. 

18.  How  to  improve  production  in  our  community. 

19.  The  problem  of  our  roads. 

20.  The  need  for  more  social  advantages  in  the  country. 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


21.  Why  farmers  move  to  the  city. 

22.  Modern  conveniences  on  the  farm. 

23.  The  business  side  of  farming. 

24.  The  products  we  can  market  best. 

A SUGGESTIVE  PROGRAM  FOR  A COMMUNITY  MEETING 
Subject:  “Reading  Matter  in  the  Home.” 

1.  Music. 

2.  Paper — The  Magazine  I Like  Best,  and  Why. 

3.  General  Discussion. 

4.  Recitation. 

5.  Paper — What  makes  a good  children’s  book,  and  where  can  it  be 

found? 

6.  General  discussion. 

7.  Round  table — (a)  The  papers  that  should  be  in  every  home. 

(b)  Influence  of  an  early  reading  habit. 

(c)  How  to  satisfy  the  love  of  adventure  in  boys’ 

reading. 

(d)  Recent  books  on  farm  life  that  are  worth  while. 

8.  Music. 

SPECIAL  DAY  CELEBRATIONS 

Usually  the  special  day  celebration  and  programs  mean 
a burden  to  both  teacher  and  pupils.  Parents  criticise  that 
regular  school  work  is  neglected  for  weeks  before  the  cele- 
bration. No  teacher  wants  to  take  time  from  school  work 
or  “rob  Peter  to  pay  Paul,”  but  she  realizes  that  there  is  as 
much  education  in  the  right  kind  of  a Washington  birthday 
program  as  in  the  study  of  history,  or  in  the  celebration  of 
Christmas  as  in  the  study  of  language.  It  is  not  a question 
of  values  but  a question  of  how  to  manage  to  neglect  neither 
the  regular  school  work  nor  the  program  which  is  such  a 
vital  force  in  arousing  patriotism,  school  spirit,  dramatic 
and  musical  ability,  and  an  interest  in  national  history. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  school  year  it  might  be  well  for 
teachers  to  decide  on  the  special  days  to  celebrate  during 
the  year  and  quietly  and  gradually  work  up  those  programs 
as  a regular  part  of  the  school  work  or  recreation  period, 
weeks  or  months  in  advance.  Teach  the  songs,  hymns,  poems 
and  legends  as  a part  of  the  opening  exercises,  language 
work  or  story  telling  periods.  The  little  people  may  drama- 
tize, as  a part  of  their  reading,  the  stories  that  are  in  keeping 
for  the  occasion.  If  costumes  are  to  be  made,  the  history 
classes  may  search  the  text  and  reference  books  for  pictures 
of  those  that  are  appropriate  while  the  handwork  and  sew- 
ing periods  are  utilized  in  working  them  out.  The  upper 
grade  language  classes  may  write  an  original  “play”  to  be 
acted.  The  folk  dances,  marches  and  singing  games  that  can 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS  53 

be  used  for  the  program  will  have  been  taught  on  the  play- 
ground as  a regular  part  of  the  organized  recess  period. 
Decorations,  announcement  posters  and  invitations  may  be 
made  in  .penmanship  and  handwork  periods. 

So  every  part  of  the  school  work  contributes  something 
to  the  program  and  if  planned  far  enough  in  advance  it  will 
vitalize  the  school  work  instead  of  making  the  preparation 
a time  of  confusion,  excitement  and  worry. 

Probably  the  most  important  social  event  of  the  year  in 
many  schools  is  the  spring  play  picnic  or  May  festival.  Some 
of  the  county  superintendents  of  the  State  have  divided  their 
counties  into  districts,  all  schools  in  a district  being  respon- 
sible for  some  game,  athletic  feat  or  folk  dance.  On  a cer- 
tain day,  all  the  schools  and  the  patrons  gather  at  a certain 
place  for  an  all-day  celebration.  Competitive  games  between 
schools,  athletic  contests,  graceful  costume  dances,  com- 
munity music  and  impromptu  events  for  grown  people,  such 
as  a potato  paring  race  or  a harnessing  contest,  make  up 
the  celebration.  Suggestive  programs  for  such  festivals  may 
be  found  in  the  appendix  of  the  “Social  Activities’'  bulletin. 

If  the  State  could  get  the  concerted  action  of  all  rural 
teachers  along  such  lines  for  the  next  few  years,  Idaho  would 
take  the  lead  in  a new  country  life  and  the  rural  teacher 
would  prove  that  she  is  the  “strongest  factor  in  the  solution 
of  the  country  life  problem” 

PLAY  GROUND,  RECESS  AND  NOON  HOUR 

Isolation  that  comes  from  pioneer  life  and  large  farms 
does  not  foster  community  or  individual  play  and  recrea- 
tion. Curtis  has  pictured  the  conditions  in  Idaho  more  ac- 
curately than  of  the  older  States,  in  “Play  and  Recreation.” 
He  says:  “Rural  life  has  become  over-serious  and  over- 
sordid.  All  too  often  in  these  years  of  earnest  struggle  for 
success  the  children  have  been  only  a by-product  of  the  farm. 
The  farmer  has  loved  and  cared  for  them,  but  the  raising 
and  training  of  a worthy  family  has  not  been  one  of  his 
objects  in  life.  He  has  cared  for  his  corn  and  potatoes,  but 
his  children  have  ‘just  growed.’  He  has  often  confounded 
play  with  idleness  and  has  deemed  exercise  only  a useless 
waste  of  energy  which  could  better  be  devoted  to  pulling 
w’eeds  or  washing  dishes.”  It  is  the  duty  of  this  generation 
of  teachers  to  supply  that  in  which  the  homes  fail,  and  the 
failure  to  develop  the  play  spirit  is  one  of  the  greatest  weak- 
nesses of  the  over-serious  country  home.  The  injection  of 
this  spirit  of  play,  along  with  neighborhood  sociability,  will 
do  as  much  to  keep  the  boys  and  girls  on  the  farm  as  tying 


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HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


up  the  school  with  the  farm  and  farm  home  by  vocationaliz- 
ing  school  work.  Any  theme  for  rural  education  that  separ- 
ates the  economic  and  social  is  unbalanced  and  will  not  ac- 
complish the  purpose  of  that  education — Better  Men,  Better 
Farming,  Better  Living. 

' Because  of  the  abnormal  repression  of  movement,  school 
room  conditions  induce  a nervous  strain  and  cramped  pos- 
ture which  should  be  relieved  by  vigorous  physical  activity 
during  recess  and  noon  hour.  “Children  inherit  the  play  in- 
stinct but  they  do  not  inherit  games.”  It  is  doubtful  if  the 
majority  of  country  children  know  more  than  three  or  four 
active  games,  unless  they  have  been  fortunate  in  having  live 
teachers  interested  in  recreation. 

The  recess  program  should  be  as  carefully  planned  by  the 
teacher  as  recitation  periods  or  seat  work.  If  this  is  not 
done,  a few  aggressive  children  will  occupy  the  center  of  the 
playground  and  the  majority  of  timid  or  passive  boys  and 
girls,  who  are  in  greater  need  of  the  exercise,  will  walk 
around  the  edges,  lean  against  the  fence,  stay  in-doors  to 
help  the  teacher  or  congregate  in  corners  or  in  the  out-build- 
ings engrossed  in  whispered  conversation  of  a questionable 
nature.  These  conditions  are  sure  to  exist  if  the  recess  is 
not  organized  and  led  by  the  teacher,  who  not  only  knows 
how  to  play  but  knows  human  nature.  Playground  work  will 
be  a failure  of  the  teacher  does  not  take  an  active  part  in 
the  program.  It  is  not  economy  of  time  for  the  teacher, 
who  needs  the  change  as  much  as  the  children,  to  spend  the 
recess  time  putting  work  on  the  blackboard,  correcting  pa- 
pers or  helping  backward  pupils. 

In  a school  of  many  grades,  “the  game  is  best  which 

1.  Includes  the  whole  school  and  offers  to  the  teacher 
supervision  of  her  pupils  at  a glance. 

2.  Does  not  put  girls  at  a disadvantage  in  playing  with 
boys. 

3.  Admits  pupils  of  all  ages. 

4.  May  be  played  indoors  or  outdoors,  at  any  time  of 
year. 

5.  May  be  played  by  any  number  of  players  on  a side, 
according  to  the  size  of  the  school. 

6.  Requires  no  special  preparation  and  puts  no  special 
strain  upon  the  hearts  and  lungs  of  the  children. 

7.  Requires  no  elaborate  or  expensive  equipment/' 

Most  bean  bag  games  and  volley  ball  meet  with  these  re- 
quirements. 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


55 


Directions  for  playing  the  latter,  which  is  one  of  the  best 
games  for  all-round  physical  development,  are  given  in  Ban- 
croft’s “Games  for  the  Playground,  Home,  School  and  Gym- 
nasium,” Macmillan  Co.,  Chicago  ($1.50).  Teachers  are 
urged  to  put  this  book,  which  is  one  of  the  most  complete  of 
its  kind,  into  the  school  libraries.  All  games  found  below, 
as  well  as  many  singing  games,  will  be  found  in  that  book : 


BEAN  BAG  GAMES 

Bag  Pile.  Circle  Ball. 

Bean  Bag  Board.  Criss-cross  Goal. 

Bean  Bag  Box.  . Over  and  Under  Relay. 

Bean  Bag  Circle  Toss.  Target  Toss. 

Bean  Bag  Ring  Throw.  Teacher  and  Class. 


ZIGZAG  GAMES 

Other  Active  Games  for  the  Playground. 


Animal  Blind  Man’s  Buff. 
Animal  Chase. 

Barley  Break. 

Baste  the  Bear. 

Bear  in  the  Pit. 

Bird  Catcher. 

Black  and  White. 

Black  Tom. 

Blind  Bell. 

Body  Guard. 

Buying  a Lock. 

Cat  and  Rat. 

Catch  the  Fish. 


Catch  and  Pull  Tug-of-war. 
Chicken  Market. 

Circle  Relay. 

Club  Snatch. 

Cross  Tag. 

Fox  and  Geese. 

Have  You  Seen  My  Sheep? 

I Say  “Stoop.” 

Japanese  Tag. 

Potato  Race. 

Prisoner’s  Base. 

Three  Deep. 


QUIET  SCHOOL-ROOM  GAMES  FOR  STORMY  DAYS 

Automobile  Race.  Beast,  Bird  or  Fish. 

Bend  and  Stretch  Relay.  Buzz. 

Blackboard  Relay.  Cross  Questions. 

Changing  Seats.  Minister’s  Cat. 

Circle  Seat  Relay.  Prince  of  Paris. 

Follow  the  Leader.  Up,  Mr.  Jenkins! 

Every  school  should  have  several  well-made  bean  bags. 
Besides  the  ordinary  playground  apparatus,  a tennis  court 
($5.00  will  cover  the  cost  of  inexpensive  net,  balls  and 
rackets),  croquet  set  ($1.00),  a volley  ball  ($1.00,  Ameri- 
can Sports  Publishing  Co.,  21  Warren  St.,  New  York),  and 
a basket  ball  are  recommended. 

Hundreds  of  rural  schools  of  this  State  have  a few  pieces 
of  home-made  playground  apparatus — swing,  giant  stride, 
turning  bar,  slide,  teeter  and  sand  box.  Every  school  should 
have  some  such  equipment,  but  the  teacher  must  not  feel  that 
her  responsibility  is  lessened  for  there  is  no  virtue  in  the 
apparatus  itself.  It  is  only  one  means  to  an  end.  Swings 
and  teeters  will  not  create  in  a child  a spirit  of  fair  play  or 


56 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


team  work  and  perhaps  not  even  a play  spirit.  The  appar- 
atus should  supplement , not  take  the  place  of  organized  play. 

“Singing  Games,  Old  and  New,”  “Popular  Folk  Games  and 
Dances,”  both  by  Marie  Hofer  (G.  S.  Schirmer,  Publisher, 
New  York,  75  cts.  each)  and  “Play  and  Recreation  for  the 
Open  Country,”  by  Curtis  ($1.16,  any  publishing  house)  are 
recommended.  See  list  of  bulletins  on  rural  play  in  “Social 
Activities  for  Rural  Schools”  (pages  26  and  27),  published 
by  the  Lewiston  State  Normal  School.  “The  Reorganized 
School  Playground,”  a bulletin  published  by  the  Bureau  of 
Education,  Washington,  D.  C.  (5  cts.),  contains  plans  of 
home-made  playground  apparatus. 

BOYS’  AND  GIRLS’  CLUBS 

One  important  part  of  the  work  of  the  redirected  rural 
school  is  the  organization  of  boys’  and  girls’  agricultural  and 
home  economics  clubs.  Every  state  in  the  Union,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Department  of  Agriculture  in  Washington, 
D.  C.,  is  carrying  on  this  club  work.  No  movement  for  a 
better  country  life  has  had  a more  remarkable  growth.  Those 
who  know  the  splendid  results  of  the  work  in  this  State  do 
not  need  to  be  urged  to  become  a part  of  this  big  country  life 
movement.  There  is,  however,  too  much  indifference  in 
many  parts  of  Idaho,  due  to  the  fact  that  many  teachers  and 
patrons  do  not  understand  what  this  great  work  means.  If 
you  do  not  know,  write  for  information  to  0.  D.  Center,  Di- 
rector of  Extension  Department,  Boise,  Idaho.  That  depart- 
ment, which  is  a part  of  the  University  of  Idaho,  has  charge 
of  the  work  in  this  State.  Corn,  Potato,  Garden,  Pig,  Poul- 
try, Sewing,  Cooking,  and  Mother-Daughter  Canning  Clubs 
are  flourishing  in  many  parts  of  the  State.  Even  in  timber 
and  mining  sections  where  no  farming  is  done,  at  least 
Sewing  and  Poultry  Clubs  may  be  organized. 

Mr.  Center  says  in  a recent  bulletin  by  the  Extension  De- 
partment: “Help  will  be  given  to  special  clubs  that  may  be 
best  suited  to  local  conditions  or  community  needs  as  Farm 
and  Home  Handicrafts,  Apple,  Sugar  Beet,  Alfalfa  (dry 
land),  Bee  Culture,  Cow  and  Sheep  Testing.  The  county 
director  (usually  County  Superintendent  of  Schools)  assists 
the  teacher  and  pupils  in  organizing  clubs,  has  general  super- 
vision over  all  clubs  in  the  county,  cooperates  with  the  local 
advisor  and  arranges  for  final  contests  and  exhibits  at  com- 
munity, county  and  state  fairs.” 

Ask  your  County  Superintendent  for  help,  but  after  the 
work  has  been  organized  the  responsibility  for  keeping  up 
the  interest  will  rest  chiefly  on  you.  The  school  work  should 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


57 


be  closely  correlated  with  the  club  work,  whether  the  teacher 
is  the  local  leader  or  not.  ( Send  to  the  Department  of  Agri- 
culture, Washington,  D.  C.,  for  free  bulletin,  “Correlation  of 
Agriculture  with  School  Subjects  in  the  Northern  States.”) 
The  greatest  need  of  this  correlation  is  in  the  beeping  of 
accounts  and  reports.  This  should  be  a vital  part  of  the 
arithmetic  and  language  work.  Use  in  school  the  blanks, 
which  the  Extension  Department  sends  you,  to  illustrate 
what  is  required.  The  school  is  responsible  if  the  club  work 
is  not  a success  because  of  failure  to  keep  the  proper  records. 

REQUIREMENTS 

1.  Age,  10  to  18  years  at  time  of  enrollment. 

2.  Time  of  enrollment,  as  set  out  under  various  clubs  in  the  An- 

nouncement Circular. 

3.  Membership  limited  to  two  clubs. 

4.  Study  the  bulletins  and  circulars  furnished. 

5.  Carry  out  the  work  as  outlined  and  as  directed  by  the  club 

advisors. 

6.  Attend  club  meetings. 

7.  Keep  careful  records  of  all  items  of  expense  and  income,  labor 

performed  and  results  obtained. 

8.  Submit  monthly  reports  to  the  University  Extension  Department 

as  requested.  A failure  for  30  days  to  send  a report  will 

forfeit  membership. 

9.  Make  final  report  at  close  of  club  season,  and  also  write  a story 

about  how  the  work  was  done. 

10.  Exhibit  products,  or  work,  at  the  school  or  local  fair,  and,  if 

possible,  at  the  County  Fair  and  State  Fair. 

OBJECTS  AND  BENEFITS  OF  CLUB  WORK 

“It  gives  purpose  and  direction  to  young  people. 

It  cultivates  habits  of  thrift  and  industry. 

It  interests  the  boys  and  girls  in  the  study  of  agriculture 
and  home  making. 

It  teaches  better  methods  of  farm  and  home  manage- 
ment. 

It  dignifies  the  business  of  home  and  farm. 

It  stimulates  friendly  rivalry  in  production  and  mar- 
keting. 

It  encourages  cooperation. 

It  emphasizes  practical  education. 

It  unites  home  and  school — parent  and  teacher. 

It  adds  to  the  wealth  of  state  and  nation. 

It  makes  better  boys  and  girls — more  efficient  men  and 
women. 

It  sets  higher  standards  for  home  life  and  citienship.” 


58 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


SCHOOL  LIBRARIES 

The  law  of  Idaho  requires  that  three  per  cent  of  the 
money  annually  appropriated  to  each  district  be  set  aside 
by  the  County  Superintendent  for  library  purposes.  This 
money  is  apportioned  in  August  and  February. 

Many  schools  are  not  getting  the  benefit  of  this  library 
fund  because  of  neglect  of  teachers  and  school  clerks  who  are 
authorized  to  order  the  books.  Every  teacher  should  inquire 
of  the  clerk  at  the  beginning  of  the  school  year  the  amount 
available  in  her  district,  and  should  proceed  to  order  the 
books  from  “The  List  of  Books  for  Public  Schools,”  which  is 
the  one  authorized  by  the  State  Board  of  Education.  Judg- 
ment has  to  be  exercised  in  selecting  even  from  the  best  book 
lists,  for  the  ages  and  nationality  of  the  children,  and  the 
needs  and  the  interests  of  the  community  should  be  taken 
into  consideration.  In  the  majority  of  schools  the  younger 
children  are  forgotten  when  library  books  are  ordered,  as 
the  books  are  often  selected  for  the  patrons  and  oldest  pupils. 
If  money  is  limited,  there  should  be  little  modern  fiction  for 
those  are  the  books  which  few  or  any  of  the  children  can 
use.  The  first  three  grades  should  be  considered  first  in 
making  the  book  selection  for,  if  children  do  not  acquire  the 
reading  habit  when  they  first  begin  to  go  to  school,  they  are 
not  apt  to  later.  All  publishing  houses  give  a good  discount 
on  school  library  books.  It  is  usually  cheaper  to  order  from 
such  houses  and  pay  transportation  than  to  buy  from  local 
firms.  Order  from  the  former  unless  advised  to  do  other- 
wise by  your  county  superintendent,  who  occasionally  makes 
arrangements  with  local  book  companies  who  agree  to  give 
the  usual  discounts.  Never  accept  substitutes  if  books  selected 
from  the  authorized  list  are  not  in  stock. 

The  following  well-known  and  reliable  wholesale  houses 
carry  these  books  in  stock,  or  they  may  be  ordered 
direct  from  publishers : John  W.  Graham  & Co.,  Spokane ; 
A.  C.  McClurg  & Co.,  Chicago ; St.  Paul  Book  and  Stationery 
Co.,  St.  Paul,  Minnesota. 

The  school  library  is  not  primarily  for  patrons,  but  first,  last  and 
all  the  time  for  ALL  school  children.  However,  teachers  arie 
urged  to  get  a few  books  on  country  life  for  the  use  of  adults. 
These,  if  read  by  patrons,  will  go  a long  way  toward  broad- 
ening the  vision  of  the  farm  folk  and  will  indirectly  help  the 
school  by  educating  the  patrons  to  the  new  movements  in 
rural  education. 

Teachers  are  also  expected  to  have  in  their  school 
libraries  reference  books  for  each  grade  in  history,  geog- 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


59 


raphy,  hygiene,  etc. ; at  least  one  set  of  supplementary  read- 
ers for  each  of  the  first  three  grades,  a set  of  agricultural 
and  home  economics  bulletins  for  use  of  both  upper  grades 
and  patrons,  one  or  two  magazines  for  school  use;  and,  if 
possible,  a set  of  supplementary  arithmetics  on  farm  ac- 
counts and  agriculture  for  seventh  and  eighth  grades. 

A few  things  to  remember : 

1.  Three  per  cent  of  general  school  fund  is  available  each  year  for 

library  purposes  only.  (This  does  not  mean  bookcases.) 

2.  Library  books  are  to  be  chosen  from  “List  of  Books  for  Public 

Schools,”  which  may  be  procured  from  your  county  superin- 
tendent. 

3.  As  many  or  more  books  should  be  selected  for  lower  grades  as 

for  older  children. 

4.  A set  of  supplementary  readers  for  each  of  the  three  lowest 

grades  in  every  library.  The  following  sets  are  recommended: 
Progressive  Road  to  Reading. 

Elson  School  Readers. 

Golden  Treasury  Readers. 

Gordon  Readers. 

The  New  Sloan  Reader. 

Parmly  Method  Reader. 

5.  One  or  more  magazines  in  every  school.  The  following  are  recom- 

mended : 

The  Country  Gentleman  (weekly;  for  upper  grade  agri- 
culture) ; Curtis  Publishing  Co.,  Philadelphia,  $1.50. 
Farm  Journal  (two  years,  35  cents). 

The  Youth’s  Companion  (weekly)  ; Perry,  Mason  & Co., 
Boston,  $1.75. 

St.  Nicholas  Magazine  (monthly;  excellent  for  all 
grades)  ; Century  Co.,  New  York,  $1.75. 

6.  Agricultural  and  home  making  bulletins.  Send  to  Department 

of  Agriculture,  Washington,  D.  C.,  and  University  of  Idaho, 
Moscow,  for  list  of  their  publications. 

7.  Boys’  and  girls’  club  bulletins.  Send  for  list  to  0.  D.  Center, 

Director  of  Extension  Department,  State  House,  Boise. 

8.  Reference  books  for  all  grades  in  each  subject.  See  State  Course 

of  Study. 

9.  A few  country  life  books,  such  as: 

Field’s  The  Corn  Lady. 

Carney’s  Country  Life  and  the  Country  School. 

Kern’s  Among  Country  Schools. 

Colgrove’s  The  Teacher  and  the  School. 

Butterfield’s  Chapters  in  Rural  Progress. 

Foght’s  The  American  Rural  School. 

10.  If  possible,  a set  of  farm  arithmetics  for  seventh  and  eighth 
grades.  The  following  are  recommended: 

Lewis’s  Farm-Business  Arithmetic,  D.  C.  Heath  & Co., 
Chicago;  about  40  cents  each. 

Principles  of  Bookkeeping  and  Farm  Accounts,  Rexell  & 
Nichols,  American  Book  Co.,  Chicago;  about  90  cents. 
Smith  & Thomas’s  Farm  Accounts,  Laurel  Book  Co., 
Chicago;  30  cents. 


60 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


THE  TRAVELING  LIBRARY 

For  use  of  patrons,  especially ; send  a request  early  in  the 
year  for  a traveling  library  from  the  Idaho  State  Library 
Commission.  Every  district  should  have  a case  of  books  which  may 
be  had  for  the  asking.  It  is  one  of  the  many  ways  of  connecting 
school  and  home  and  of  making  “Idaho  a land  of  readers.” 
Miss  Roberts,  the  librarian,  says:  “The  Idaho  Library 
Commission’s  aim,  object  and  only  purpose  of  existence  is 
to  extend  to  the  people  of  the  State  greater  library  facilities. 
Therefore,  upon  request  from  any  village,  hamlet  or  town 
in  the  State  of  Idaho,  an  application  blank  is  sent  which  is 
to  be  signed  by  six  taxpayers  and  a responsible  librarian 
appointed  who  will  promise  to  give  careful  attention  to 
crates,  cases  and  books  and  if  they  are  lost  or  damaged  see 
that  they  are  paid  for.” 

After  the  said  application  is  returned  to  Margaret  S. 
Roberts,  State  House,  Boise,  a case  of  fifty  books,  containing 
fifteen  fiction,  fifteen  juvenile  and  twenty  miscellaneous,  also 
special  cases  on  Agriculture,  Juvenile,  Art,  Music,  Home 
Economics,  History  and  Debates,  will  be  forwarded,  freight 
prepaid.  This  case  remains  at  a station  four  months  un- 
less otherwise  ordered. 

The  commission  has  also  a single  loan  shelf  which  is 
accessible  to  any  responsible  citizen  of  the  State  who  will 
pay  the  postage  both  ways.  A list  of  books  on  the  single 
loan  shelf  will  be  sent  to  any  one  upon  application. 

It  is  the  hope  and  dream,  the  foremost  of  the  thoughts 
and  ambitions  of  the  commission  to  give  every  individual  in 
the  State  the  books  they  most  need  and  to  make  this  great 
State  of  Idaho  a land  of  readers. 

PACKET  LIBRARIES 

For  the  new  type  of  rural  teacher,  who  wishes  to  grow 
professionally,  the  Lewiston  State  Normal  School  has  a 
plan  of  extension  work  in  the  form  of  packet  libraries, 
mainly  of  a professional  nature,  which  will  be  sent  upon 
request  and  the  payment  of  the  nominal  fee  of  25  cents  to 
cover  cost  of  postage  and  depreciation.  Each  library  con- 
tains about  five  books  and  eight  or  ten  bulletins,  a list  of 
which  may  be  found  in  the  Lewiston  Normal  School  catalog 
for  July,  1915,  and  also  in  the  September,  1915,  “Rural 
School  Monitor.”  To  secure  the  use  of  one  of  these  libraries, 
write  to  Miss  Mary  R.  Crawford,  Librarian,  care  of  the 
Normal  School,  Lewiston,  Idaho,  stating  which  packet  you 
wish,  as  packet  No.  1,  and  also  make  a second  choice.  If  you 


HANDBOOK  FOR  RURAL  TEACHERS 


61 


do  not  have  the  list,  state  your  special  need,  as  arithmetic 
methods,  organization  of  a play  festival,  etc.,  and  Miss 
Crawford  will  gladly  send  you  the  library  which  should  be 
the  most  help  to  you.  Each  library  may  be  kept  four  weeks 
from  the  date  on  which  it  is  received. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  ILLINOIS-URBANA 


